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Albert strutted along the row, poking the occasional paunch with his staff HisGo back? Never! This was power, this was living; he'd challenge old boniface and spit in his e Mirror of Grises around here!'

Those wizards who had studied history nodded unco up when it was still dark and no alcohol under any circu until the brain squeaked

'What's that !'

A wizard who had absent-arette fall froers It bounced when it hit the floor and all the wizards watched it roll with longing eyes until Albert stepped forward smartly and squashed it

Albert spun round Rincewind, who had been following him as a sort of unofficial adjutant, nearly walked into hi! D'yer smoke?'

'No, sir! Filthy habit!' Rincewind avoided the gaze of his superiors He was suddenly aware that he hadenemies, and it was no consolation to know that he probably wouldn't have theht! Hold oing to stop, d'yer hear? First thing tole and back here for physical jerks! Balanced oes to a circus, first thing!'

'Oook?'

Several of the older wizards shut their eyes

'But first,' said Albert, lowering his voice, 'you'll obligeup the Rite of AshkEnte'

'I have some unfinished business,' he added

Mort strode through the cat-black corridors of the pyralow fros; Offler the Crocodile God was a coss the people of Tsort worshipped In alcoves along the ere statues of creatures apparently built of all the bits God had left over

'What are they here for?' whispered Ysabell

'The Tsortean priests say they come alive when the pyramid is sealed and prowl the corridors to protect the body of the king from tomb robbers,' said Mort

'What a horrible superstition'

'Who said anything about superstition?' said Mort absently

'They really come alive?'

'All I'll say is that when the Tsorteans put a curse on a place, they don't mess about'

Mort turned a corner and Ysabell lost sight of hih the darkness and cannoned into hih,' she said 'Doesn't it send shivers up your spine?'

'No,' said Mort flatly

'Why not?'

BECAUSE I AM MORT He turned, and she saw his eyes glow like blue pinpoints

'Stop it!'

I – CAN'T

She tried to laugh It didn't work 'You're not Death,' she said 'You're only doing his job' DEATH is WHOEVER DOES DEATH'S JOB The shocked pause that followed this was broken by a groan froe Mort turned on his heel and hurried towards it

He's right, thought Ysabell Even the way he moves

But the fear of the darkness that the light was dragging towards her overcame any other doubts and she crept after him, around another corner and into what appeared, in the fitful glow from the sword, to be a cross between a treasury and a very cluttered attic

'What's this place?' she whispered 'I've never seen so much stuff!'

THE KING TAKES IT WITH HIM INTO THE NEXT WORLD, said Mort

'He certainly doesn't believe in travelling light Look, there's a whole boat And a gold bathtub!'

DOUBTLESS HE WILL WISH TO KEEP CLEAN WHEN HE GETS THERE

'And all those statues!'

THOSE STATUES, I'M SORRY TO SAY, WERE PEOPLE SERVANTS FOR THE KING, YOU UNDERSTAND

Ysabell's face set grimly

THE PRIESTS GIVE THEM POISON

There was another groan, from the other side of the cluttered roo aardly over rolls of carpet, bunches of dates, crates of crockery and piles of ge obviously hadn't been able to decide what he was going to leave behind on his journey, so had decided to play safe and take everything

ONLY IT DOESNT ALWAYS WORK QUICKLY, Mort added soairl sprawled across a pile of rugs She earing gauze trousers, a waistcoat cut froles to reen stain around her mouth

'Does it hurt?' said Ysabell quietly

No THEY THINK IT TAKES THEM TO PARADISE

'Does it?'

MAYBE WHO KNOWS? Mort took the hourglass out of an inner pocket and inspected it by the glea to hilass over his shoulder and brought the sword doith his other hand

The girl's shade sat up and stretched, with a clink of ghostly jewellery She caught sight of Mort, and bowed her head

'My lord!'

NO-ONE'S LORD, said Mort NOW RUN ALONG TO WHEREVER YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING

'I shall be a concubine at the heavenly court of King Zetesphut, ill dwell a the stars forever,' she said firmly

'You don't have to be,' said Ysabell sharply The girl turned to her, wide-eyed

'Oh, but Ifor it,' she said, as she faded froed to be a handmaiden up till now'

She vanished Ysabell stared with dark disapproval at the space she had occupied

'Well!' she said, and, 'Did you see what she had on?'

LET'S GET OUT OF HERE

'But it can't be true about King Whosis dwelling arumbled as they found their way out of the crowded roo but empty space up there'