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"I don't know What did you do before she was here?"
"She was always here! She knew everything! Who's going to tell us what to do now?" And then they'd say: "It's not going to be you, is it?" and give her a Look that said: We hope not You don't even wear a black dress After a while Tiffany got fed up with this and in a very sharp voice asked the next person, a wo six cooked chickens: "What about all those stories about her slitting open bad people's bellies with her thumbnail, then?"
"Er, well, yes, but it was never anyone we knew," said the woman virtuously "And the demon in the cellar?"
"So they say O' course, I never saw it pers'nally" The woave Tiffany a worried look "It is down there, isn't it?" You want it to be, Tiffany thought You actually want there to be a monster in the cellar! But as far as Tiffany kneas in the cellar this les who had been boozin' If you put a lot of Feegles in a desert, within twentydreadful to drink "Believe me, madam, you wouldn't want to hat's down there now," she said, giving the woman a worried smile The woman seeain "And the spiders? She really eats spiders?" she asked "Well, there's lots of webs," said Tiffany, "but you never see a spider!"
"Ah, right," said the wo secret "Say what you like, Miss Treason's been a real witch With skulls! I expect you have to polish 'em, eh? Ha! She could spit your eye out as soon as look at you!"
"She never did, though," said a es "Not to anyone local, anyway"
"That's true," the woracious in that respect"
"Ah, she was a proper old-tie man "Many a man has widdled in his boots when she's turned the sharp side of her tongue on hi? She weaves your name into the loom, that's what she does! And if you tell her a lie, your thread breaks and you drop down dead on the spot!"
"Yes, that happens all the ti! Boffo has a life of its own! "Well, we don't get witches like her these days," said a s "These days it's all airy-fairy and dancin' around without your drawers on" They all looked inquiringly at Tiffany "It's wintertiet on with my work The witches will be here soon Thank you very s on to boil, she told Petulia about it It didn't come as a surprise "Um, they're proud of her," Petulia said "I've heard the market in Lancre"
"They boast?"
"Oh, yes Like: You think old Mistress Weatherwax is tough? Ours has got skulls! And a deot a clockwork heart she winds up every day! And she eats spiders, sure of it! How d'you like them poisoned apples, huh?" Boffo works all by itself, Tiffany thought, once you get it started Our Baron is bigger than your Baron, our witch is witchier than your witch…
CHAPTER FIVE
Miss Treason's Big Day T he witches started arriving around four o'clock, and Tiffany went out into the clearing to do air traffic control Annagra ine And there was a difficultand Granny Weatherwax arrived at the same time, and circled in a ballet of careful politeness as each waited for the other to land In the end, Tiffany directed the and hurried away There was no sign of the Wintersone far away, she hoped, arranging a gale or conducting a blizzard The me Like an oyster dealing with a piece of grit, Tiffany coated it with people and hard work Now the day was just another pale, dry, early winter's day Apart froed Witches arrange the old friends and old enee was far too sossiping groups, like a flock of old crows or, possibly, chickens Tiffany didn't havetrays But so on, she could tell Witches would pause and turn to watch her as she staggered past, and then turn back to their group and the level of hubbub in the group would rise a bit Groups would conized this The witches werea Decision Lucy Warbeck sidled up to her while she was bringing out a tray of tea, and whispered, as if it were a guilty secret: "Mistress Weatherwax has suggested you, Tiff"