'What kind of a theatre?'
'They didn't say. Something for the duke, I think.'
'What's he want a theatre for?'
'They didn't say that, either.'
'It's probably all a trick to get in the castle,' Granny said knowingly. 'Very clever idea. Did you see anything in the carts?'
'Boxes and bundles and such.'
'They'll be full of armour and weapons, depend upon it.'
Nanny Ogg looked doubtful.
They didn't look very much like soldiers to me. They were awfully young and spotty.'
'Clever. I expect in the middle of the play the king will manifest his destiny, right where everyone can see him. Good plan.'
'That's another thing,' said Nanny, picking up a bean pod and chewing it. 'He doesn't seem to like the place much.'
'Of course he does. It's in his blood.'
'I brought him the pretty way. He didn't seem very impressed.'
Granny hesitated.
'He was probably suspicious of you,' she concluded. 'He was probably too overcome to speak, really.'
She put down the bowl of beans and looked thoughtfully at the trees.
'Have you got any family still working up at the castle?' she said.
'Shirl and Daff help out in the kitchens since the cook went off his head.'
'Good. I'll have a word with Magrat. I think we should see this theatre.'
'Perfect,' said the duke.
'Thank you,' said Hwel.
'You've got it exactly spot on about that dreadful accident,' said the duke. 'You might almost have been there. Ha. Ha.'
'You weren't, were you?' said Lady Felmet, leaning forward and glaring at the dwarf.
'I just used my imagination,' said Hwel hurriedly. The duchess glared at him, suggesting that his imagination could consider itself lucky it wasn't being dragged off to the courtyard to explain itself to four angry wild horses and a length of chain.
'Exactly right,' said the duke, leafing one-handedly through the pages. 'This is exactly, exactly, exactly how it was.'
'Will have been,' snapped the duchess.
The duke turned another page.
'You're in this too,' he said. 'Amazing. It's a word for word how I'm going to remember it. I see you've got Death in it, too.'
'Always popular,' said Hwel. 'People expect it.'
'How soon can you act it?'