'What—' Nanny began. Granny put a finger to her lips.
She turned and walked to the washhouse's window, a dusty spiderweb graveyard of faded butterfly wings and last summer's bluebottles. A faint glow beyond the frosted panes suggested that, against all reason, a new day would soon dawn.
'Can you tell us why?' she said, without turning round. She'd felt the mind of a whole country . . .
She was rather impressed.
'I'm just a demon. What do I know? Only what is, not the why and how of it.'
'I see.'
'May I go now?'
'Um?'
'Please?'
Granny jerked upright again.
'Oh. Yes. Run along,' she said distractedly. 'Thank you.'
The head didn't move. It hung around, like a hotel porter who has just carried fifteen suitcases up ten flights of stairs, shown everyone where the bathroom is, plumped up the pillows, and feels he has adjusted all the curtains he is going to adjust.
'You wouldn't mind banishing me, would you?' said the demon, when no-one seemed to be taking the hint.
'What?' said Granny, who was thinking again.
'Only I'd feel better for being properly banished. 'Run along' lacks that certain something,'
said the head.
'Oh. Well, if it gives you any pleasure. Magrat!'
'Yes?' said Magrat, startled.
Granny tossed the copper stick to her.
'Do the honours, will you?' she said.
Magrat caught the stick by what she hoped Granny was imagining as the handle, and smiled.
'Certainly. Right. Okay. Um. Begone, foul fiend, unto the blackest pit—'
The head smiled contentedly as the words rolled over it. This was more like it.
It melted back into the waters of the copper like candlewax under a flame. Its last contemptuous comment, almost lost in the swirl, was, 'Run aaaalonggg ...'
Granny went home alone as the cold pink light of dawn glided across the snow, and let herself into her cottage.
The goats were uneasy in their outhouse. The starlings muttered and rattled their false teeth under the roof. The mice were squeaking behind the kitchen dresser.
She made a pot of tea, conscious that every sound in the kitchen seemed slightly louder than
Вы читаете Wyrd Sisters
