'You mean forests.'
'You'll like it here,' said Nanny encouragingly.
'It's a bit small.'
Nanny thought about this. She'd spent nearly all her life inside the boundaries of Lancre. It had always seemed about the right size to her.
'Bijou,' she said. 'Handy for everywhere.'
'Everywhere where?'
Nanny gave up. 'Everywhere close,' she said.
Hwel said nothing. The air was good, rolling down the unclimbable slopes of the Ramtops like a sinus wash, tinted with turpentine from the high forests. They passed through a gateway into what was, up here, probably called a town; the cosmopolitan he had become decided that, down on the plains, it would just about have qualified, as an open space.
'There's an inn,' said Tomjon doubtfully.
Hwel followed his gaze. 'Yes,' he said, eventually. 'Yes, it probably is.'
'When are we going to do the play?'
'I don't know. I think we just send up to the castle and say we're here.' Hwel scratched his chin. 'Fool said the king or whoever would want to see the script.'
Tomjon looked around Lancre town. It seemed peaceful enough. It didn't look like the kind of place likely to turn actors out at nightfall. It needed the population.
'This is the capital city of the kingdom,' said Nanny Ogg. 'Well-designed streets, you'll notice.'
'Streets?' said Tomjon.
'Street,' corrected Granny. 'Also houses in quite good repair, stone's throw from river—'
'Throw?'
'Drop,' Nanny conceded. 'Neat middens, look, and extensive—'
'Madam, we've come to entertain the town, not buy it,' said Hwel.
Nanny Ogg looked sidelong at Tomjon.
'Just wanted you to see how attractive it is,' she said.
'Your civic pride does you credit,' said Hwel. 'And now, please, leave the cart. I'm sure you've got some wood to gather. Lawks.'
'Much obliged for the snack,' said Nanny, climbing down.
'Meals,' corrected Hwel.
Tomjon nudged him. 'You ought to be more polite,' he said. 'You never know.' He turned to Nanny. 'Thank you, good – oh, she's gone.'
'They've come to do a theatre,' said Nanny.
Granny Weatherwax carried on shelling beans in the sun, much to Nanny's annoyance.
'Well? Aren't you going to say something? I've been finding out things,' she said. 'Picking up information. Not sitting around making soup—'
'Stew.'
'I reckon it's very important,' sniffed Nanny.