decaying garbage lay in heaps against the walls of crudely constructed log houses , and herds of scrawny pigs rooted dispiritedly through those heaps in search of food.as silk and garion , once again wearing their karandese vests and caps and their cross-tied sackcloth leggings , approached the docks jutting out into the lake , they were nearly overcome by the overpowering odor of long-dead fish .