Mort

Death gave him another of his supernova winks.

Mort didn't return it. Instead he turned and plodded towards the door, at a general speed and gait that made Great A'Tuin look like a spring lamb.

He was halfway along the corridor before he heard the soft rush of footsteps behind him and a hand caught his arm.

'Mort?'

He turned and gazed at Ysabell through a fog of depression.

'Why did you let him think it was you in the library?'

'Don't know.'

'It was . . . very . . . kind of you,' she said cautiously.

'Was it? I can't think what came over me.' He felt in his pocket and produced the handkerchief. This belongs to you, I think.'

'Thank you.' She blew her nose noisily.

Mort was already well down the corridor, his shoulders hunched like vulture's wings. She ran after him.

'I say,' she said.

'What?'

'I wanted to say thank you.'

'It doesn't matter,' he muttered. 'It'd just be best if you don't take books away again. It upsets them, or something.' He gave what he considered to be a mirthless laugh. 'Ha!'

'Ha what?'

'Just ha!'

He'd reached the end of the corridor. There was the door into the kitchen, where Albert would be leering knowingly, and Mort decided he couldn't face that. He stopped.

'But I only took the books for a bit of company,' she said behind him.

He gave in.

'We could have a walk in the garden,' he said in despair, and then managed to harden his heart a little and added, 'Without obligation, that is.'

'You mean you're not going to marry me?' she said. Mort was horrified. 'Marry?'

'Isn't that what father brought you here for?' she said. 'He doesn't need an apprentice, after all.'

'You mean all those nudges and winks and little comments about some day my son all this will be yours?' said Mort. 'I tried to ignore them. I don't want to get married to anyone yet,' he added, suppressing a fleeting mental picture of the princess. 'And certainly not to you, no offence meant.'

'I wouldn't marry you if you were the last man on the Disc,' she said sweetly.

Mort was hurt by this. It was one thing not to want to marry someone, but quite another to be told they didn't want to marry you.

'At least I don't look like I've been eating doughnuts in a wardrobe for years,' he said, as they stepped out on to Death's black lawn.

'At least I walk as if my legs only had one knee each,' she said.

'My eyes aren't two juugly poached eggs.'