tp.wyrd sisters-第14节

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't　mean；　he　realised；　that　the　duke　was　any　less　mad。　Even　the　coldness　of　his　sanity　was　madness　in　a　way。　The　duke　had　a　mind　that　ticked　like　a　clock　and；　like　a　clock；　it　regularly　went　cuckoo。
　Lord　Felmet　looked　up　calmly。
　'Yes；　my　dear？'
　'What　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？'　she　demanded。
　'Witches；　I　suspect；'　said　Lord　Felmet。
　'I　really　don't　think…'　the　Fool　began。　Lady　Felmet's　glare　didn't　merely　silence　him；　it　almost　nailed　him　to　the　wall。
　'That　is　clearly　apparent；'　she　said。　'You　are　an　idiot。'
　'A　Fool；　my　lady。'
　'As　well；'　she　added；　and　turned　back　to　her　husband。
　'So；'　she　said；　smiling　grimly。　'Still　they　defy　you？'
　The　duke　shrugged。　'How　should　I　fight　magic？'　he　said。
　'With　words；'　said　the　Fool；　without　thinking；　and　was　instantly　sorry。　They　were　both　staring　at　him。
　'What？'　said　the　duchess。
　The　Fool　dropped　his　mandolin　in　his　embarrassment。
　'In　…　in　the　Guild；'　said　the　Fool；　'we　learned　that　words　can　be　more　powerful　even　than　magic。'
　'Clown！'　said　the　duke。　'Words　are　just　words。　Brief　syllables。　Sticks　and　stones　may　break　my　bones…'　he　paused；　savouring　the　thought　…　'but　words　can　never　hurt　me。'
　'My　lord；　there　are　such　words　that　can；'　said　the　Fool。　'Liar！　Usurper！　Murderer！'
　The　duke　jerked　back　and　gripped　the　arms　of　the　throne；　wincing。
　'Such　words　have　no　truth；'　said　the　Fool；　hurriedly。
　'But　they　can　spread　like　fire　underground；　breaking　out　to　burn…'
　'It's　true！　It's　true！'　screamed　the　duke。　'I　hear　them；　all　the　time！'　He　leaned　forward。　'It's　the　witches！'　he　hissed。
　'Then；　then；　then　they　can　be　fought　with　other　words；'　said　the　Fool；　'Words　can　fight　even　witches；'
　'What　words？'　said　the　duchess；　thoughtfully。
　The　Fool　shrugged。　'Crone。　Evil　eye。　Stupid　old　woman。'
　The　duchess　raised　one　thick　eyebrow。
　'You　are　not　entirely　an　idiot；　are　you；'　she　said。　'You　refer　to　rumour。'
　'Just　so；　my　lady。'　The　Fool　rolled　his　eyes。　What　had　he　got　himself　into？
　'It's　the　witches；'　whispered　the　duke；　to　no…one　in　particular。　'We　must　tell　the　world　about　the　witches。　They're　evil。　They　make　it　e　back；　the　blood。　Even　sandpaper　doesn't　work。'
　
　There　was　another　tremor　as　Granny　Weatherwax　hurried　along　the　narrow；　frozen　pathways　in　the　forest。　A　lump　of　snow　slipped　off　a　tree　branch　and　poured　over　her　hat。
　This　wasn't　right；　she　knew。　Never　mind　about　the　…whatever　it　was　…　but　it　was　unheard　of　for　a　witch　to　go　out　on　Hogswatchnight。　It　was　against　all　tradition。　No…one　knew　why；　but　that　wasn't　the　point。
　She　came　out　on　to　the　moorland　and　pounded　across　the　brittle　heather；　which　had　been　scoured　of　snow　by　the　wind。　There　was　a　crescent　moon　near　the　horizon；　and　its　pale　glow　lit　up　the　mountains　that　towered　over　her。　It　was　a　different　world　up　there；　and　one　even　a　witch　would　rarely　venture　into；　it　was　a　landscape　left　over　from　the　frosty　birth　of　the　world；　all　green　ice　and　knife…edge　ridges　and　deep；　secret　valleys。　It　was　a　landscape　never　intended　for　human　beings　…　not　hostile；　any　more　than　a　brick　or　cloud　is　hostile；　but　terribly；　terribly　uncaring。
　Except　that；　this　time；　it　was　watching　her。　A　mind　quite　unlike　any　other　she　had　ever　encountered　was　giving　her　a　great　deal　of　its　attention。　She　glared　up　at　the　icy　slopes；　half　expecting　to　see　a　mountainous　shadow　move　against　the　stars。
　'Who　are　you？'　she　shouted。　'What　do　you　want？'
　Her　voice　bounced　and　echoed　among　the　rocks。　There　was　a　distant　boom　of　an　avalanche；　high　among　the　peaks。
　On　the　crest　of　the　moor；　where　in　the　summer　partridges　lurked　among　the　bushes　like　small　whirring　idiots；　was　a　standing　stone。　It　stood　roughly　where　the　witches'　territories　met；　although　the　boundaries　were　never　formally　marked　out。
　The　stone　was　about　the　same　height　as　a　tall　man；　and　made　of　bluish　tinted　rock。　It　was　considered　intensely　magical　because；　although　there　was　only　one　of　it；　no…one　had　ever　been　able　to　count　if；　if　it　saw　anyone　looking　at　it　speculatively；　it　shuffled　behind　them。　It　was　the　most　self…effacing　monolith　ever　discovered。
　It　was　also　one　of　the　numerous　discharge　points　for　the　magic　that　accumulated　in　the　Ramtops。　The　ground　around　it　for　several　yards　was　bare　of　snow；　and　steamed　gently。
　The　stone　began　to　edge　away；　and　watched　her　suspiciously　from　behind　a　tree。
　She　waited　for　ten　minutes　until　Magrat　came　hurrying　up　the　path　from　Mad　Stoat；　a　village　whose　good…natured　inhabitants　were　getting　used　to　ear　massage　and　flower…based　homeopathic　remedies　for　everything　short　of　actual　decapitation。＇7＇　She　was　out　of　breath；　and　wore　only　a　shawl　over　a　nightdress　that；　if　Magrat　had　anything　to　reveal；　would　have　been　very　revealing。
　'You　felt　it　too？'　she　said。
　Granny　nodded。　'Where's　Gytha？'　she　said。
　They　looked　down　the　path　that　led　to　Lancre　town；　a　huddle　of　lights　in　the　snowy　gloom。
　
　There　was　a　party　going　on。　Light　poured　out　into　the　street。　A　line　of　people　were　winding　in　and　out　of　Nanny　Ogg's　house；　from　inside　which　came　occasional　shrieks　of　laughter　and　the　sounds　of　breaking　glass　and　children　grizzling。　It　was　clear　that　family　life　was　being　experienced　to　its　limits　in　that　house。　The　two　witches　stood　uncertainly　in　the　street。
　'Do　you　think　we　should　go　in？'　said　Magrat　diffidently。　'It's　not　as　though　we　were　invited。　And　we　haven't　brought　a　bottle。'
　'Sounds　to　me　as　if　there's　a　deal　too　many　bottles　in　there　already；'　said　Granny　Weatherwax　disapprovingly。　A　man　staggered　out　of　the　doorway；　burped；　bumped　into　Granny；　said；　'Happy　Hogswatchnight；　missus；'　glanced　up　at　her　face　and　sobered　up　instantly。
　'Mss；'　snapped　Granny。
　'I　am　most　frightfully　sorry…'　he　began。
　Granny　swept　imperiously　past　him。　'e；　Magrat；'　she　manded。
　The　din　inside　hovered　around　the　pain　threshold。　Nanny　Ogg　got　around　the　Hogswatchnight　tradition　by　inviting　the　whole　village　in；　and　the　air　in　the　room　was　already　beyond　the　reach　of　pollution　controls。　Granny　navigated　through　the　press　of　bodies　by　the　sound　of　a　cracked　voice　explaining　to　the　world　at　large　that；　pared　to　an　unbelievable　variety　of　other　animals；　the　hedgehog　was　quite　fortunate。
　Nanny　Ogg　was　sitting　in　a　chair　by　the　fire　with　a　quart　mug　in　one　hand；　and　was　conducting　the　reprise　with　a　cigar。　She　grinned　when　she　saw　Granny's　face。
　'What　ho；　my　old　boiler；'　she　screeched　above　the　din。　'See　you　turned　up；　then。　Have　a　drink。　Have　two。　Wotcher；　Magrat。　Pull　up　a　chair　and　call　the　cat　a　bastard。'
　Greebo；　who　was　curled　up　in　the　inglenook　and　watching　the　festivities　with　one　slit　yellow　eye；　flicked　his　tail　once　or　twice。
　Granny　sat　down　stiffly；　a　ramrod　figure　of　decency。
　'We're　not　staying；'　she　said；　glaring　at　Magrat；　who　was　tentatively　reaching　out　towards　a　bowl　of　peanuts。　'I　can　see　you're　busy。　We　just　wondered　whether　you　might　have　noticed　…　anything。　Tonight。　A　little　while　ago。'
　Nanny　Ogg　wrinkled　her　forehead。
　'Our　Darron's　eldest　was　sick；'　she　said。　'Been　at　his　dad's　beer。'
　'Unless　he　was　extremely　ill；'　said　Granny；　'I　doubt　if　it　was　what　I　was　referring　to。'　She　made　a　plex　occult　sign　in　the　air；　which　Nanny　totally　ignored。
　'Someone　tried　to　danee　on　the　table；'　she　said。　'Fell　into　our　Reet's　pumpkin　dip。　We　had　a　good　laugh。'
　Granny　waggled　her　eyebrows　and　placed　a　meaningful　finger　alongside　her　nose。
　'I　was　alluding　to　things　of　a　different　nature；'　she　hinted　darkly。
　Nanny　Ogg　peered　at　her。
　'Something　wrong　with　your　eye；　Esme？'　she　hazarded。
　Granny　Weatherwax　sighed。
　'Extremely　worrying　developments　of　a　magical　tendency　are　even　now　afoot；'　she　said　loudly。
　The　room　went　quiet。　Everyone　stared　at　the　witches；　except　for　Darron's　eldest；　who　took　advantage　of　the　opportunity　to　continue　his　alcoholic　experiments。　Then；　swiftly　as　they　had　fled；　several　dozen　conversations　hurriedly　got　back　into　gear。
　'It　might　be　a　good　idea　if　we　can　go　and　talk　somewhere　more　private；'　said　Granny；　as　the　forting　hubbub　streamed　over　them　again。
　They　ended　up　in　the　washhouse；　where　Granny　tried　to　give　an　account　of　the　mind　she　had　encountered。
　'It's　out　there　somewhere；　in　the　mountains　and　the　high　forests；'　she　said。　'And　it　is　very　big。'
　'I　thought　it　was　looking　for　someone；'　said　Magrat。　'It　put　me　in　mind　of　a　large　dog。　You　know；　lost。　Puzzled。'
　Granny　thought　about　this。　Now　she　came　to　think　of　it　。　。　。
　'Yes；'　she　said。　'Something　like　that。　A　big　dog。'
　'Worried；'　said　Magrat。
　'Searching；'　said　Granny。
　'And　getting　angry；'　said　Magrat。
　'Yes；'　said　Granny；　staring　fixedly　at　Nanny。
　'Could　be　a　troll；'　said　Nanny　Ogg。　'I　left　best　part　of　a　pint　in　there；　you　know；'　she　added　reproachfully。
　'I　know　what　a　troll's　mind　feels　like；　Gytha；'　said　Granny。　She　didn't　snap　the　words　out。　In　fact　it　was　the　quiet　way　she　said　them　that　made　Nanny　hesitate。
　'They　say　there's　really　big　trolls　up　towards　the　Hub；'　said　Nanny　slowly。　'And　ice　giants；　and　big　hairy　woss…names　that　live　above　the　snowline。　But　you　don't　mean　anything　like　that；　do　you？'
　'No。'
　'Oh。'
　Magrat　shivered。　She　told　herself　that　a　witch　had　absolute　control　over　her　own　body；　an