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'Is that the big wee hag drea wee hag?' said Daft Wullie 'Both, e hand close and winced 'But ye cannae kill a hiver,' said Daft Wullie 'Aye, but ye can frit it awa',' said Rob Anybody 'It's a big wee universe oot there If I was it, I'd no' think o' try in' her again!' There were three more booms in the distance, louder this time 'I think,' he went on, 'that's it's tie, so heavily on the front door Thump Thump Thump S? Chapter 9 Soul ant Tiffany opened her eyes, reht: Was that a dreaht was: How do I know I'm me? Suppose I'm not me but just think I'm me? How can I tell if I' the question? Ahts? Hoould I know if it wasn't? 'Dinnae ask me,' said a voice by her head 'Is this one of the on her pillow Tiffany squinted down She was in bed in Miss Level's cottage A green quilt stretched out in front of her A quilt Green Not turf, not hillsbut it looked like the downland, from here 'Did I say all that aloud?' she asked 'Oh, aye'

'Erit did all happen, didn't it?' said Tiffany 'Oh, aye,' said Daft Wullie cheerfully 'The big hag wuz up here till just noo, but she said ye probably wasnae gonna wake up a monster' More bits ofon a peaceful planet 'Are you all right?'

'Oh, aye/ said Daft Wullie 'And Miss Level?' And this rock ofmountain that'd make a million dinosaurs flee for their lives Tiffany's hands flew to her mouth 'I killed her!' she said 'Noo, then, ye didnae-'

'I did! I felt ry! I just waved le dived for cover - 'and she just exploded into nothing! It was s said it wuz usin' your ot the les who had raised their heads ducked back down again 'Andtheinto starsthingsthe heatbloodthe taste of bloodI rememberI remember the see-me trick! Oh, no! I practically invited it in! I killed Miss Level!' Shadoere closing in around her vision, and there was a ringing in her ears Tiffany heard the door swing open and hands picked her up as though she was as light as a bubble She was slung over a shoulder and carried swiftly down the stairs and out into the bright round 'And all of uswe killed hertake one crucible of silver' she mumbled A hand slapped her sharply across the face She stared through inner ure in front of her A bucket handle was pressed firoats now, Tiffany! Now, Tiffany, d'you hear! The trusting creatures look to you! They wait for you! Tiffany oats Do it, Tiffany! The hands kno, the er, Tiffany!' She was thrust down onto the h theshape of of Black Meg The hands rerasped a teat and then, as Meg raised a leg to play the foot-in-the-bucket ga platfor her hands have their way Buckets were filled and eot a bucket of feed from the binSensibility Bustle was rather puzzled that his hands were oat He stopped 'What is your name?' said a voice behind him 'Bustle Sensibil- 'No! That was the wizard, Tiffany! He was the strongest echo, but you're not him! Get into the dairy, TIFFANY!' She stumbled into the cool room under the command of that voice and the world focused There was a foul cheese on the slab, sweating and stinking 'Who put this here?' she asked 'The hiver did, Tiffany Tried to ic, Tiffany Hah!' said the voice 'And you are not it, Tiffany! You kno to ht way, don't you, Tiffany? Indeed you do! What is your nae sain 'No, that was the sabre-toothed tiger, Tiffany! They're all just old memories the hiver left behind, Tiffany! It's worn a lot of creatures but they are not you! Come forward, Tiffany!' She heard the words without really understanding them They were just out there somewhere, between people ere just shadows But it was unthinkable to disobey theure 'Where's that little blue feller? Mister Anyone?'

'Here,o' ye not tae turn me intae

somethin' unnatural, mistress!'

'You said she had a box of keepsakes Fetch it down here this ht happen I hates doin' it this way!' Tiffany was turned round and once again looked into the blurry face while strong hands gripped her arms Two blue eyes stared into hers They shone in the mist like sapphires 'What's your name, Tiffany?' said the voice 'Tiffany!' The eyes bored into her 'Is it? Really? Singyou ever learned, Tiffany! Now!'

'Hzan, hzana, m'taza-'

'Stop! That was never learned on a chalk hill! You ain't Tiffany! I reckon you're that desert queen who killed twelve of her husbands with scorpion sandwiches! Tiffany is the one I'ain She could hear whispered discussions through the fog and the voice said: 'Well, that ht work What's your nale, mistress'

'You're very sht, ain The blue eyes glinted 'What does your nale, Tiffany? Think' It rose fro behind it It ca voices and lifted her beyond the reach of ghostly hands Ahead, the clouds parted 'My name is Land Under Wave,' said Tiffany and slumped forward 'No, no, none of that, we can't have that,' said the figure holding her 'You've slept enough Good, you knoho you are! Now you ! You must be Tiffany as hard as you may, and the other voices will leave you alone, depend on it Although it ood idea if you don't make sandwiches for a while' She did feel better She'd said her nah it was still a chatter that ht But now at least she could see clearly The black-dressed figure holding her wasn't tall, but she was so good at acting as if she was that it tended to fool most people 'Ohyou'reMistress Weatherwax?' Mistress Weatherwax pushed her down gently into a chair Froles watched Tiffany 'I am And a fine mess we have here Rest for a -'

'Good , ladies Er, how is she?' Tiffany turned her head Miss Level stood in the door She looked pale and she alking with a stick 'I was lying in bed and I thought, Well, there's no reason to stay up here feeling sorry for myself,' she said

Tiffany stood up 'I'uely 'Not your fault,' she said, sitting down heavily at the table 'How are you? And, for that matter, who are you?' Tiffany blushed 'Still ht and saw to Miss Level,' said Mistress Weatherwax 'Watched over you, too, girl You talked in your sleep or, rather, Sensibility Bustle did, what's left of hi that's nothing much more'n a bunch of memories and habits'