Lords And Ladies Part 53

Granny emerged, leading the unicorn. It walked sedately, muscles moving under its white coat like frogs in oil. And its hooves clattered on the cobbles. Ridcully couldn't help noticing how they shone.

It walked politely alongside the witch until she reached the center of the square. Then she turned it loose, and gave it a light slap on the rump.

It whinnied softly, turned, and galloped down the street, toward the forest...

Nanny Ogg appeared silently behind Granny Weatherwax as she watched it go.

"Silver shoes?" she said quietly. "They'll last no time at all."

"And silver nails. They'll last for long enough," said Granny, speaking to the world in general. "And she'll she'll never get it back, though she calls it for a thousand years." never get it back, though she calls it for a thousand years."

"Shoeing the unicorn," said Nanny, shaking her head. "Only you'd think of shoeing a unicorn, Esme."

"I've been doing it all my life," said Granny.

Now the unicorn was a speck on the moorland. As they watched, it disappeared into the evening gloom.

Nanny Ogg sighed, and broke whatever spell there was.

"So that's it, then."

"Yes."

"Are you going to the dance up at the castle?"

"Are you?"

"Well...Mr. Casanunda did ask if I could show him the Long Man. You know. Properly. I suppose it's him being a dwarf. They're very interested in earthworks."

"Can't get enough of them," said Casanunda.

Granny rolled her eyes.

"Act your age, Gytha."

"Act? Don't have to act, can do it automatic," said Nanny. "Acting half my age...now that's that's the difficult trick. Anyway, you didn't answer me." the difficult trick. Anyway, you didn't answer me."

To the surprise of Nanny, and of Ridcully, and possibly even of Granny Weatherwax herself, she slipped her arm around Ridcully's arm.

"Mr. Ridcully and I are going to have a stroll down to the bridge."

"We are?" said Ridcully.

"Oh, that's nice nice."

"Gytha Ogg, if you keep on looking at me like that I shall give you a right ding around the ear."

"Sorry, Esme," said Nanny.

"Good."

"I expect you want to talk about old times," Nanny volunteered.

"Maybe old times. Maybe other times."

The unicorn reached the forest, and galloped onward.

The waters of the Lancre gushed below. No one crossed the same water twice, even on a bridge.

Ridcully dropped a pebble. It went plunk plunk.

"It all works out," said Granny Weatherwax, "somewhere. Your young wizard knows that, he just puts daft words around it. He'd be quite bright, if only he'd look at what's in front of him."

"He wants to stay here for a while," said Ridcully gloomily. He flicked another pebble into the depths. "Seems fascinated by the stones. I can't say no, can I? The king's all for it. He says other kings have always had fools, so he'll try having a wise man around, just in case that works better."

Granny laughed.

"And there's young Diamanda going to be up and about any day now," she said.

"What do you mean?"

"Oh, nothing. That's the thing about the future. It could turn out to be anything anything. And everything."

She picked up a pebble. It hit the water at the same time as one of Ridcully's own, making a double plunk plunk.

"Do you think," said Ridcully, "that...somewhere...it all went right?"

"Yes. Here!"

Granny softened at the sight of his sagging shoulders.

"But there, too," she said.

"What?"

"I mean that somewhere Mustrum Ridcully married Esmerelda Weatherwax and they lived-" Granny gritted her teeth "-lived happily ever after. More or less. As much as anyone does."

"How d'you know?"

"I've been picking up bits of her memories. She seemed happy enough. And I ain't easily pleased."

"How can you do do that?" that?"

"I try to be good at everything I do."

"Did she say anything about-"

"She didn't say nothing! She don't know we exist! Don't ask questions! It's enough to know that everything happens somewhere, isn't it?"

Ridcully tried to grin.

"Is that the best you can tell me?" he said.

"It's the best there is. Or the next best thing."

Where does it end?*

On a summer night, with couples going their own ways, and silky purple twilight growing between the trees. From the castle, long after the celebrations had ended, faint laughter and the ringing of little silver bells. And from the empty hillside, only the silence of the elves.

Author's Note By and large, most Discworld books have stood by themselves, as complete books. It helps helps to have read them in some kind of order, but it's not essential. to have read them in some kind of order, but it's not essential.

This one is different. I can't ignore the history of what has gone before. Granny Weatherwax first turned up in Equal Rites Equal Rites. In Wyrd Sisters Wyrd Sisters she became the unofficial head of a tiny coven consisting of the easy-going, much-married Nanny Ogg and young Magrat, she of the red nose and unkempt hair and tendency to be soppy about raindrops and roses and whiskers on kittens. she became the unofficial head of a tiny coven consisting of the easy-going, much-married Nanny Ogg and young Magrat, she of the red nose and unkempt hair and tendency to be soppy about raindrops and roses and whiskers on kittens.

And what took place was a plot not unadjacent to that of a famous play about a Scottish king, which ended with Verence II becoming king of the little hilly, forested country of Lancre.

Technically this shouldn't have happened, since strictly speaking he was not the heir, but to the witches he looked like being the best man for the job and, as they say, all's well that ends well. It also ended with Magrat reaching a very tentative Understanding with Verence...very tentative indeed, since both of them were so shy they immediately forgot whatever it was they were going to say to one another whenever they met, and whenever either of them did manage to say anything the other one misunderstood it and took offense, and both of them spent a lot of time wondering what the other one was thinking. This might be love, or the next best thing.

In Witches Abroad Witches Abroad the three witches had to travel halfway across the continent to face down the G.o.dmother (who had made Destiny an offer it couldn't refuse). the three witches had to travel halfway across the continent to face down the G.o.dmother (who had made Destiny an offer it couldn't refuse).

This is the story of what happened when they came home.

NOW READ ON...

About the Author.

Terry Pratchett is one of the most popular living authors in the world. His first story was published when he was thirteen, and his first full-length book when he was twenty. He worked as a journalist to support the writing habit, but gave up the day job when the success of his books meant that it was costing him money to go to work. is one of the most popular living authors in the world. His first story was published when he was thirteen, and his first full-length book when he was twenty. He worked as a journalist to support the writing habit, but gave up the day job when the success of his books meant that it was costing him money to go to work.

Pratchett's acclaimed novels are bestsellers in the U.S. and the United Kingdom and have sold more than twenty-seven million copies worldwide. He lives in England, where he writes all the time. (It's his hobby, as well.)

Visit www.AuthorTracker.com for exclusive information on your favorite HarperCollins author.

PRAISE.

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TERRY PRATCHETT!.

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Also by Terry Pratchett The Carpet People * The Dark Side of the Sun * Strata Truckers * Diggers * Wings * Only You Can Save Mankind Johnny and the Dead * Johnny and the Bomb The Unadulterated Cat (with Gray Jollife) Good Omens (with Neil Gaiman) The Amazing Maurice and His Educated Rodents*

The Discworld Series The Color of Magic* * The Light Fantastic*

Equal Rites* * Mort* * Sourcery* * Wyrd Sisters*

Pyramids* * Guards! Guards!* * Eric (with Josh Kirby)*

Moving Pictures* * Reaper Man* * Witches Abroad*

Small G.o.ds* * Lords and Ladies* * Men at Arms*

Soul Music* * Interesting Times*

Maskerade* * Feet of Clay* * Hogfather* * Jingo*

The Last Continent* * Carpe Jugulum*