Page 4 (1/2)

The Fool hesitated with a card in his hand, suppressed his panic and thought quickly

'I'faith, nuncle,' he squeaked, 'thou't more full of questions than a martlebury is of mizzensails'

The cook relaxed

'Well, okay,' he said, not entirely satisfied The Fool lost the next three hands, just to be on the safe side

The porter, ate and peered out

'Who dost knock without?' he growled

The soldier, drenched and terrified though he was, hesitated

'Without? Without what?' he said

'If you're going to bugger about, you can bloody well stay without all day,' said the porter calmly

'No! I uard 'Witches are abroad!'

The porter was about to come back with, 'Good time of year for it', or 'Wish I was, too', but stopped when he saw the man's face It wasn't the face of aIt was the look of sos a decent man shouldn't wot of

'Witches?' said Lord Felhty corridors, a voice as faint as the wind in distant keyholes said, with a note of hope, 'Witches!'

The psychically inclined

'It's , that's what it is,' said Granny Weatherwax 'And no good will corat breathily, and heaved a sigh

'Goochy goo,' said Nanny Ogg

'Anyway,' said Magrat, 'you killed that horrid s to take their course' Granny Weatherwax frowned 'He didn't have no respect Once people lose their respect, it means trouble'

'Izzy wizzy wazzy, den' ,

'That other rat 'He wanted us to keep him safe! It's obvious! It's destiny!'

'Oh, obvious,' said Granny 'I'll grant you it's obvious Trouble is, just because things are obvious doesn't hed the crown in her hands It felt very heavy, in a way that went beyond mere pounds and ounces

'Yes, but the point is--' Magrat began

'The point is,' said Granny, 'that people are going to co Pull-down-the-walls and burn-off-the-thatch looking And--'

'Howsa boy, den?'

'--And, Gytha , I' like that!' Granny snapped She could feel her nerves co on Her nerves always played up when she was unsure about things Besides, they had retired to Magrat's cottage, and the decor was getting to her, because Magrat believed in Nature's wisdo power of colours and the cycle of the seasons and a lot of other things Granny Weatherwax didn't have any truck with

'You're not after tellingmildly 'Andthat we ought to think about it,' said Granny

The other tatched her for soers drue of the crown She frowned

'First, we've got to take him away from here,' she said, and held up a hand 'No, Gytha, I', but it's not safe He's got to be so here no-one knoho he is And then there's this' She tossed the crown frorat 'IThat's easy Much easier than babies'

'It ain't,' said Granny The reason being, the country's full of babies and they all look the same, but I don't reckon there'sfound, anyway They kind of call out to people's ed it under a stone up here, in a week's tiet itself discovered by accident You mark , earnestly 'Howinto the deepest depths of the ocean and then, when you get home and have a nice bit of turbot for your tea, there it is?'

They considered this in silence

'Never,' said Granny irritably 'And nor have you Anyway, he s set a lot of store by crowns Really, Gytha, sometimes you say the most--'

'I'll just htly, and disappeared into the scullery

The two elderly witches sat on either side of the table in polite and prickly silence Finally Nanny Ogg said, 'She done it up nice, hasn't she? Flowers and everything What are theils,' said Granny sourly 'Or so, politely 'And all thes too'

'Modern,' said Granny Weatherith a sniff 'When I was a gel, we had a lump of wax and a couple of pins and had to be content We had to make our own enchantment in them days'

'Ah, well, we've all passed a lot of water since then,' said Nanny Ogg sagely She gave the baby a cole

Granny Weatherwax sniffed Nanny Ogg had been randchildren all over the kingdoet married Granny had to concede that, but reluctantly Very reluctantly She sniffed again, disapprovingly; this was a mistake

'What's that s, carefully repositioning the baby 'I expect I'll just go and see if Magrat has any clean rags, shall I?'

And now Granny was left alone She felt embarrassed, as one always does when left alone in soet up and inspect the books on the shelf over the sideboard or examine the mantelpiece for dust She turned the crown round and round in her hands Again, it gave the ier and heavier than it actually was

She caught sight of the mirror over theIt was practically begging her to try it for size Well, and why not? She made sure that the others weren't around and then, in one movement, whipped off her hat and placed the crown on her head

It seemed to fit Granny drew herself up proudly, and waved a hand ieneral direction of the hearth