Spanky found Sadie at dusk, standing in the street outside the Hog’s Head, ringing a handbell loudly and already wearing her broom-veil. Enough of the veil was pushed aside by the pipe clenched in Sadie’s teeth that Spanky could glimpse the forest of pale stubble on the witch’s chin. Between every series of four or five rings, Sadie bellowed in a hoarse, coarse voice:

“As Joe Albuquerque’’s killing curse echoed down the corridor,” Spanky continued as his audience hung on every word, “something large and heavy crashed to the floor behind us. Ms. Noir and I spun around. It must have been almost on top of us when Joe stopped it. It was an acromantula, big enough to eat me for dinner and Ms. Noir for dessert.