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"Really? Then I won't open the door to her next tiramma firmly "No, let her in Really, it's all because she's lonely and wants to chat"

"Well, I should think I've got better things to do with my time than listen to an old lady who just wants to talk," said Annagranantly Tiffany looked at her Where did you start, apart froirl's head on the table until the brain started working? "Listen very carefully," she said "I ot no better use of your time than to listen to old ladies ant to talk Everyone tells things to witches So listen to everyone and don't say much and think about what they say and how they say it and watch their eyes… It becosaw puzzle, but you're the only one who can see all the pieces You'll knohat they want you to know, and what they don't want you to know, and even what they think no one knows That's e go around the houses That's why you will go around the houses, until you're part of their lives"

"All this just to get some power over a crowd of farmers and peasants?" Tiffany spun around and kicked a chair so hard that it broke a leg Annagramma backed away quickly "What did you do that for?"

"You're clever--you guess!"

"Oh, I forgot…your father is a shepherd…"

"Good! You re into her brain, courtesy of her Third Thoughts Suddenly she knew Annagraramma instinctively drew herself up "Oh, he owns several farms--"

"Liar!"

"Well, perhaps I should say he is a far to show "Liar!" Annagramma backed away "How dare you talk to me like--"

"How dare you not tell me the truth!" In the pause that opened, Tiffany heard everything--the faint crackle of wood in the stove, the sound oflike the sea in a cave… "He works for a farramma quickly, and then looked shocked at her oords "We don't have any land, we don't even own the cottage There's the truth, if you want it Happy now?"

"No But thank you," said Tiffany "Are you going to tell the others?"

"No It doesn't matter But Granny Weatherants you toagainst you…" Tiffany hesitated, then went on, "I ainst everyone She just wants people to see that Mrs Earwig's style of witchcraft doesn't work This is just like her! She's not said a word against you, she's just let you have exactly what you wanted It's like a story Everyone knows that if you get exactly what you wish for, it all goes bad And you wished for a cottage And you're going to et the hang--"

"Why? You're a witch with a cottage You're supposed to be able to deal with it! Why take it on if you couldn't do it?" You're supposed to be able to deal with it, sheep girl! Why take it on if you couldn't do it? "So you're not going to help lared at Tiffany, and then her expression, ht?" Tiffany blinked It's horrible to have your own voice echo back at you froot time," she said weakly "Maybe the others can…help out?"

"I don't want theraht She's just not good at witchcraft She'll ave in "All right, I can probably spare so And I'll explain things to the others They'll have to know They'll probably help You learn fast--you could pick up the basic stuff in a week or so" Tiffany watched Annagra about it! If she were drowning and you threw her a rope, she'd co color… "Well, if they are just helpingup You could ale the real world in her head Another story, thought Tiffany; it's all about Annagrahed "Perhaps we could even tell people that you girls are coramma hopefully People said that you should always count up to ten before losing your te with, you had to know soer numbers, like perhaps a million "No," said Tiffany, "I don't think we'll do that You are the one doing the learning" Annagraue, saw the look on Tiffany's face, and decided not to "Er, yes," she said "Of course Er…thank you" That was a surprise "They probably will help," said Tiffany "It won't look good if one of us fails" To her a "It's just that I didn't really think they were my friends…"