tp.wyrd sisters-第12部分
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
'It's a tortoyse；' said Magrat。 'I bought it down in Sheep…ridge market。 It's incredibly old and knows many secrets； the man said。'
'I know that man；' said Granny。 'He's the one who sells goldfish that tarnish after a day or two。'
'Anyway； I shall call him Lightfoot；' said Magrat； her voice warm with defiance。 'I can if I want。'
'Yes； yes； all right； I'm sure；' said Granny。 'Anyway； how goes it； sisters？ It is two months since last we met。'
'It should be every new moon；' said Magrat sternly。 'Regular。'
'It was our Grame's youngest's wedding；' said Nanny Ogg。 'Couldn't miss it。'
'And I was up all night with a sick goat；' said Granny Weatherwax promptly。
'Yes； well；' said Magrat doubtfully。 She rummaged in her bag。 'Anyway； if we're going to start； we'd better light the candles。'
The senior witches exchanged a resigned glance。
'But we got this lovely new lamp our Tracie sent me；' said Nanny Ogg innocently。 'And I was going to poke up the fire a bit。'
'I have excellent night vision； Magrat；' said Granny sternly。 'And you've been reading them funny books。 Grimmers。'
'Grimoires…'
'You ain't going to draw on the floor again； neither；' warned Nanny Ogg。 'It took our Dreen days to clean up all those wossnames last time…'
'Runes；' said Magrat。 There was a look of pleading in her eyes。 'Look； just one candle？'
'All right；' said Nanny Ogg； relenting a bit。 'If it makes you feel any better。 Just the one； mind。 And a decent white one。 Nothing fancy。'
Magrat sighed。 It probably wasn't a good idea to bring out the rest of the contents of her bag。
'We ought to get a few more here；' she said sadly。 'It's not right； a coven of three。'
'I didn't know we was still a coven。 No…one told me we was still a coven；' sniffed Granny Weatherwax。 'Anyway； there's no…one else this side of the mountain； excepting old Gammer Dismass； and she doesn't get out these days。'
'But a lot of young girls in my village 。 。 。' said Magrat。 'You know。 They could be keen。'
'That's not how we do it； as well you know；' said Granny disapprovingly。 'People don't go and find witchcraft； it es and finds them。'
'Yes； yes；' said Magrat。 'Sorry。'
'Right；' said Granny； slightly mollified。 She'd never mastered the talent for apologising； but she appreciated it in other people。
'What about this new duke； then；' said Nanny； to lighten the atmosphere。
Granny sat back。 'He had some houses burned down in Bad Ass；' she said。 'Because of taxes。'
'How horrible；' said Magrat。
'Old Kind Verence used to do that；' said Nanny。 'Terrible temper he had。'
'He used to let people get out first； though；' said Granny。
'Oh yes；' said Nanny； who was a staunch royalist。 'He could be very gracious like that。 He'd pay for them to be rebuilt； as often as not。 If he remembered。'
'And every Hogswatchnight； a side of venison。 Regular；' said Granny wistfully。
'Oh； yes。 Very respectful to witches； he was；' added Nanny Ogg。 'When he was out hunting people； if he met me in the woods； it was always off with his helmet and 〃I hope I finds you well； Mistress Ogg〃 and next day he'd send his butler down with a couple of bottles of something。 He was a proper king。'
'Hunting people isn't really right； though；' said Magrat。
'Well； no；' Granny Weatherwax conceded。 'But it was only if they'd done something bad。 He said they enjoyed it really。 And he used to let them go if they gave him a good run；'
'And then there was that great hairy thing of his；' said Nanny Ogg。
There was a perceptible change in the atmosphere。 It became warmer； darker； filled at the corners with the shadows of unspoken conspiracy。
'Ah；' said Granny Weatherwax distantly。 'His droit de seigneur。'
'Needed a lot of exercise；' said Nanny Ogg； staring at the fire。
'But next day he'd send his housekeeper round with a bag of silver and a hamper of stuff for the wedding；' said Granny。 'Many a couple got a proper start in life thanks to that。'
'Ah；' agreed Nanny。 'One or two individuals； too。'
'Every inch a king；' said Granny。
'What are you talking about？' said Magrat suspiciously。 'Did he keep pets？'
The two witches surfaced from whatever deeper current they had been swimming in。 Granny Weatherwax shrugged。
'I must say；' Magrat went on； in severe tones； 'if you think so much of the old king； you don't seem very worried about him being killed。 I mean； it was a pretty suspicious accident。'
'That's kings for you；' said Granny。 'They e and go； good and bad。 His father poisoned the king we had before。'
'That was old Thargum；' said Nanny Ogg。 'Had a big red beard； I recall。 He was very gracious too； you know。'
'Only now no…one must say Felmet killed the king；' said Magrat。
'What？' said Granny。
'He had some people executed in Lancre； the other day for saying it；' Magrat went on。 'Spreading malicious lies； he said。 He said anyone saying different will see the inside of his dungeons； only not for long。 He said Verence died of natural causes。'
'Well； being assassinated is natural causes for a king；' said Granny。 'I don't see why he's so sheepish about it。 When old Thargum was killed they stuck his head on a pole； had a big bonfire and everyone in the palace got drunk for a week。'
'I remember；' said Nanny。 'They carried his head all round the villages to show he was dead。 Very convincing； I thought。 Specially for him。 He was grinning。 I think it was the way he would have liked to go。'
'I think we might have to keep an eye on this one； though；' said Granny。 'I think he might be a bit clever。 That's not a good thing； in a king。 And I don't think he knows how to show respect。'
'A man came to see me last week to ask if I wanted to pay any taxes；' said Magrat。 'I told him no。'
'He came to see me； too；' said Nanny Ogg。 'But our Jason and our Wane went out and tole him we didn't want to join。'
'Small man； bald； black cloak？' said Granny thoughtfully。
'Yes；' said the other two。
'He was hanging about in my raspberry bushes；' said Granny。 'Only； when I went out to see what he wanted； he ran away。'
'Actually； I gave him tuppence；' said Magrat。 'He said he was going to be tortured； you see； if he didn't get witches to pay their taxes 。 。 。'
Lord Felmet looked carefully at the two coins in his lap。
Then he looked at his tax gatherer。
'Well？' he said。
The tax gatherer cleared his throat。 'Well； sir； you see。 I explained about the need to employ a standing army； ekcetra； and they said why； and I said because of bandits； ekcetra； and they said bandits never bothered them。'
'And civil works？'
'Ah。 Yes。 Well； I pointed out the need to build and maintain bridges； ekcetra。'
'And？'
'They said they didn't use them。'
'Ah；' said the duke knowledgeably。 'They can't cross running water。'
'Not sure about that； sir。 I think witches cross anything they like。'
'Did they say anything else？' said the duke。
The tax gatherer twisted the hem of his robe distractedly。
'Well； sir。 I mentioned how taxes help to maintain the King's Peace； sir 。 。 。 '
'And？'
'They said the king should maintain his own peace； sir。 And then they gave me a look。'
'What sort of look？'
The duke sat with his thin face cupped in one hand。 He was fascinated。
'It's sort of hard to describe；' said the taxman。 He tried to avoid Lord Felmet's gaze； which was giving him the distinct impression that the tiled floor was fleeing away in all directions and had already covered several acres。 Lord Felmet's fascination was to him what a pin is to a Purple Emperor。
'Try；' the duke invited。
The taxman blushed。
'Well；' he said。 'It 。 。 。 wasn't nice。'
Which demonstrates that the tax gatherer was much better at figures than words。 What he would have said； if embarrassment； fear； poor memory and a plete lack of any kind of imagination hadn't conspired against it； was：
'When I was a little boy； and staying with my aunt； and she had told me not to touch the cream； ekcetra； and she had put it on a high shelf in the pantry； and I got a stool and went after it when she was out anyway； and she'd e back and I didn't know； and I couldn't reach the bowl properly and it smashed on the floor； and she opened the door and glared at me： it was
