Page 17 (1/2)

"We cant stay here for ever," said Rincewind "We need to do things Like eat"

"That's one of the tre a damned soul," said Ponce da Quiret a completely new set of cares, but I have always found it advisable to look for the silver lining"

"Wossna on his shoulder

"Fancy that," said Rincewind "I never knew anih I can quite see why they made an exception in this case"

"Up yours wizard!"

"Why don't they look for us here, that's what I don't understand?" said Eric

"Shut up and keep walking," said Rincewind "They're stupid, that's why They can't i like this"

"Yes, they're right there I can't i like this, either," said Eric

Rincewind treadled for a bit, watching a crowd of frantically searching demons hurry past

"So you didn't find the Fountain of Youth, then," he said, feeling that he should make some conversation

"Oh, but I did," said da Quirle It was very iht, which I think is the more appropriate word"

"And - ?" said Rincewind

"It definitely worked Yes For a while there I could definitely feel ue hand to take in da Quir circles of the Pit

"Ah," said the oldbit I'd read so ht someone in all those books would haveabout the water, wouldn't you?"

"Which was - ?"

"Boil it first Says it all doesn't it? Terrible shareat spiral road that linked the circles of the Pit Even if conditions had been normal it probably would not have attractedthan ," said Eric

"That's the point," said Rincewind

"We shouldn't be lurking here, we should be trying to find a way out!" "Well, yes, but there isn't one" "There is, in fact," said a voice behind Rincewind It was the voice of someone who had seen it all and hadn't liked any of it very ht behind theht,`" said Lavaeolus bitterly "Your very words Huh Ten years of one daht have told a chap" "Er," said Eric "We didn't want to upset the course of history" "You didn't want to upset the course of history," said Lavaeolus slowly He stared down at the ork of the treadht I feel a lot better for knowing that Speaking as the course of history, I'd like to say thank you very much" "Excuse me," said Rincewind "Yes?" "You said there's another way out?" "Oh, yes A back way" "Where is it?" Lavaeolus stopped treadling for a moment and pointed across the misty hollow "See that arch over there?" Rincewind peered into the distance "Just about," he said "Is that it?"

"Yes A long steep clih"

"How did you find out about it?"

Lavaeolus shrugged "I asked a de everything, you know" "It'd take forever to get there," said Eric "It's right on the other side, we'd never lumly continued the endless walk After a few minutes he said:

"Has it struck you we seee had stepped aboard and was trying to catch up with thel stood in front of his mirror "Shohat they can see," he coe for a moment "Tell me what this means," he said I'rowled "And I' with his trident "And I'm prepared to risk another seven years' bad luck" The ht be able to hear so, lord, it ventured "And?" I smell smoke

"No smoke I specifically banned all open fires A very old-fashioned concept It gave

the place a bad name"

Nevertheless, master

"Show ave of its best The King was just in ti red hot, crash down fros and roll, as deceptively slowly as an avalanche, across the country of the da the rungs whirr past at a speed that would have burned the soles off his sandals if he'd been foolish enough to let his feet down The dead, however, were taking it all with the cheerful aplomb of those who know that the worst has already happened to them Cries of "Pass the candyfloss," drifted down He heard Lavaeolus co to da Quirm how, if you had a vehicle which put down its road in front of it, just like the Luggage was in fact doing, and then you covered it with armour, then ould be less bloody, over in half the ti hoea few feet away, and just kept going Itso out the occasional screa the occasional luckless deainst the opposite cliff

Lord Vassenego smiled