Page 32 (1/1)

'And it's about tirah, and she expects other witches to be tough> because the edge is no place for people who break Everything with her is a kind of test And her Third Thoughts handed over the thought that had not quite made it back in the tent: Granny Weatherwax, you knew the hiver would only come for me, didn't

you? You talked to Dr Bustle, you told me Did you just turn uess? Or know? 'You'd win,' said Dimity Hubbub 'Even so They know big ic happened There's not a whole shamble for miles' So I'd win because soht Oh, yes, that'd really be so to be proud of 'You can bet she'll stand up,' said Annagraed into the Next World by a ht her back That's what I'd do, if I was her' I expect you would, Tiffany thought But you're not, and you're notaway a couple of elderly witches I wonder, she thought, if they've been saying things like 'This girl needs taking down a peg, Mistress Weatherwax' And as she thought that, Granny turned back and caught her eye- The , mostly in embarrassment There was a pause, and then people started to clap, because it was the sort of thing you had to do A witch, someone Tiffany didn't know, stepped out into the square, still clapping in that fluttery, hands-held-close-together-at shoulder-height way that people use when they want to encourage the audience to go on applauding just that little bit longer 'Very well done, Doris, excellent work, as ever,' she trilled 'They've come on marvellously since last year, thank you very much, wonderful, well doneahem' The woman hesitated, while behind her Doris Trae herhysterics 'And now, perhapssoe?' said the lass ball about to shatter 'Anyone?' There was stillness, and silence 'Don't be shy, ladies!' The voice of theanize a field full of born organizers 'Modesty does not beco, some towards her, sorass, Granny reached up and brushed so eye contact with Tiffany And we're not wearing hats, thought Tiffany You gave me a virtual hat once, Granny Weatherwax, and I thank you for it But I don't need it today Today, I know I'm a witch 'Oh, come now, ladies!' said the mistress of ceremonies, now almost frantic 'This is the Trials! A place for friendly and instructive contestation in an atoodwill! Surely so lady, perhaps? Tiffany smiled It should be 'sorority', not 'fraternity' We're sisters, mistress, not brothers

'Coood!' Tiffany shook her head 'Oh, well, that's it,' said Annagrairl's head, as usual-'

'I don't knoho'sup her sleeves 'But I'ot to her feet and there was a general stir in the crowd 'Oh, I see it's going to be- Oh, it's you, Petulia,' said the htly disappointed 'Yes, Miss Case trick,' said Petulia loudly 'But, er, you don't see with you,' said Miss Casement, taken aback 'Yes, Miss Case!' This caused a sensation, and cries of 'Impossible!' and 'There are children here, you know!' Miss Casement looked around for assistance and found none 'Oh well,' she said, helpless 'If you are sure, dear 'Yes I a one fro it up There was another sensation Tiffany didn't see the trick Nor did Granny Weatherwax Their gaze was like an iron bar, and even Miss Casement instinctively didn't step into it But Tiffany heard the squeal, and the gasp of amazement, and then the thunder of applause People would have applauded anything at that point, in the same way that pent-up water would take any route out of a daled balls that stopped and reversed direction in ed witch de, which doesn't even soundnearly-dead people into fully-alive people is worth a dozen spells that just go twing! And other wo tricks and handy tips and things that heee! or stopped toothache or, in one case, exploded - - and then there were no more entries Miss Casement walked back into the centre of the field, almost drunk with relief that there had been a Trials, andladies' who ht like to come forward There was a silence so thick you could have stuck pins in it And then she said: 'Oh, wellin that case, I declare the Trials well and truly closed Tea will be in the big tent!' Tiffany and Granny stood up at the same time, to the second, and bowed to one another Then Granny turned away and joined the sta to see how the crowd parted, all unaware, to let her through, like the sea in front a particularly good prophet Petulia was surrounded by other young witches The pig trick had gone down very well Tiffany queued up to give her a hug

'But you could have won!' said Petulia, red in the face with happiness and worry 'That doesn't ave it away,' said a sharp voice behind her 'You had it in your hand, and you gave it all away How do you feel about that, Tiffany? Do you have a taste for huraer Tiffany reached out and lowered the girl's arra What she wanted to say was: 'Where I co Trials Shepherds travel there fros And there're silver crooks and belts with silver buckles and prizes of all kinds, Annagra prize was? No, you wouldn't Oh, there were judges, but they didn't count, not for the big prize There is- There was a little old lady as always at the front of the crowd, leaning on the hurdles with her pipe in herat her feet Their na and they moved so fast they set the air on fire and their coats outshone the sun, but she never, ever put them in the Trials She knewshepherd wanted, really wanted, wasn't some silly cup or belt but to see her take her pipe out of her mouth as he left the arena and quietly say "That'll do" because that meant he was a real shepherd and all the other shepherds would know it, too And if you'd told hie her, he'd cuss at you and stamp his foot and tell you he'd sooner spit the sun dark How could he ever win? She was shepherding It was the whole of her life What you took away from her you'd take away from yourself You don't understand that, do you? But it's the heart and soul and centre of it! The soulandcentre!' But it would be wasted, so what she said was: 'Oh, just shut up, Annagramma Let's see if there's any buns left, shall we?' Overhead, a buzzard screa through the air as it began the long glide, headed back towards home They were always there Beside her cauldron, Jeannie opened her eyes 'He's co to her feet She waved a hand urgently at the watching Feegles 'Don't ye just stand there gawping!' she commanded 'Catch some rabbits to roast! Build up the fire! Boil up a load o' water, 'cos I'm takin' a bath! Look at this place, 'tis like aMan! Go an' steal sohs, holly or yew, olden plates! The place must sparkle! What're ye all standin' there for?'

'Er, what did ye want us to do first, Kelda,' said a Feegle nervously 'All of it!' In her chamber they filled the kelda's soup-bowl bath and she scrubbed, using one of Tiffany's old toothbrushes, while outside there were the sounds of Feegles working hard at cross-purposes The san to fill the mound

Jeannie dressed herself in her best dress, did her hair, picked up her shawl and cli the ger and bigger As a kelda, she would welcome home a warrior As a wife, she would kiss her husband and scold hiht she would melt with relief, thankfulness and joy CHAPTER 14 QUEEN of the Bees And, one afternoon about a week later, Tiffany went to see Granny Weatherwax It was only fifteen miles as the broo a broomstick, Miss Level took her It was the invisible part of Miss Level Tiffany just lay flat on the stick, holding on with ar a paper bag to be sick into, because no one likes anonye hessian sack, which she handled with care She didn't open her eyes until the rushing noises had stopped and the sounds around her told her she was probably very close to the ground In fact Miss Level had been very kind When she fell off, because of the cras, the broomstick was just above soot up, because it always pays to mind your reen, like the last one The coifts that Miss Level lived and moved in had thrown up four yards of nice material (for the trouble-free birth of Miss Quickly's baby boy) and a few hours' dress a lot better, thank you) She'd given the black one away When I'ht, she'd decided But, for now, she'd had enough of darkness She looked around at this clearing on the side of a hill, surrounded by oak and sycamore on three sides but open on the downhill side with a wide view of the countryside below The syca seeds, which whirled down lazily across a patch of garden It was unfenced, even though sooats weren't eating the garden, it was because you'd forgotten who lived here There was a well And, of course, a cottage Mrs Earould definitely have objected to the cottage It was out of a storybook The walls leaned against one another for support, the thatched roof was slipping off like a bad wig, and the chie would be too fattening, this was the next worst thing In a cottage deep in the forest lived the Wicked Old WitchIt was a cottage out of the nastier kind of fairy tale

Granny Weatherwax's beehives were tucked away down one side of the cottage Some were the old straw kind, most were patched-up wooden ones They thundered with activity, even this late in the year Tiffany turned aside to look at them, and the bees poured out in a dark streahed They'd made a witch of bees in front of her, thousands of theht hand With a rise in the level of buzzing, the bee-witch raised its right hand She turned around It turned around, the bees carefully copying every swirl and flutter of her dress, the ones on the very edge buzzing desperately because they had furthest to fly She carefully put down the big sack and reached out towards the figure With another roar of wings it went shapeless for a moment, and then re-formed a little ay, but with a hand outstretched towards her The bee that was the tip of its forefinger hovered just in front of Tiffany's fingernail 'Shall we dance?' said Tiffany In the clearing full of spinning seeds, she circled the swar tip, turning when she turned, although there were always a few bees racing to catch up Then it raised both its arms and twirled in the opposite direction, the bees in the 'skirt' spreading out again as it spun It was learning Tiffany laughed and did the sa She felt happy and wondered if she'd ever felt this happy before The gold light, the falling bracts, the dancing beesit was all one thing This was the opposite of the dark desert Here, light was everywhere and filled her up inside She could feel herself here but see herself froolden as the light struck the bees Moments like this paid for it all Then the witchat her with its thousands of little jewelled eyes There was a faint piping noise froure and the bee-witch exploded into a spreading, buzzing cloud of insects which raced away across the clearing and disappeared The onlyfall of the sycamore seeds Tiffany breathed out 'Now, some people would have found that scary,' said a voice behind her Tiffany didn't turn round immediately First she said, 'Good afternoon, Granny Weatherwax' Then she turned round 'Have you ever done this?' she deht 'It's rude to start with questions You'd better come in and have a cup of tea,' said Granny Weatherwax You'd barely know that anyone lived in the cottage There were two chairs by the fire, one of the chair, and by the table were two chairs that didn't rock but did wobble because of the uneven stone floor There was a dresser, and a rag-rug in front of the huge hearth A brooainst the wall in one corner, next to so mysterious and pointy, under a cloth