“So,” said Nanny, ignoring him, “what's been happening in these parts while we've been away, my lad?”
Jason poked at the fire distractedly with an iron bar.
“Oh, well, us had a big whirlwind on Hogswatchnight and one of Mother Peason's hens laid the same egg three times, and old Poorchick's cow gave birth to a seven-headed snake, and there was a rain of frogs over in Slice-”
“Been pretty normal, then,” said Nanny Ogg. She refilled her pipe in a casual but meaningful way.
“All very quiet, really,” said Jason. He pulled the bar out of the fire, laid it on the anvil, and raised his hammer.
“I'll find out sooner or later, you know,” said Nanny Ogg.
Jason didn't turn his head, but his hammer stopped in mid-air.
“I always does, you know,” said Nanny Ogg.
The iron cooled from the colour of fresh straw to bright red.
“You knows you always feels better for telling your old mum,” said Nanny Ogg.
The iron cooled from red to spitting black. But Jason, ' used all day to the searing heat of a forge, seemed to be uncomfortably warm.
“I should beat it up before it gets cold,” said Nanny Ogg.
“Weren't my fault. Mum! How could I stop 'em?”
Nanny sat back in the chair, smiling happily
“What them would these be, my son?”
“That young Diamanda and that Perdita and that girl with the red hair from over in Bad Ass and them others. I says to old Peason, I says you'd have something to say, I tole'em Mistress Weatherwax'd get her knic - would definitely be sarcastic when she found out,” said Jason. “But they just laughs. They said they could teach 'emselves witching.”
Nanny nodded. Actually, they were quite right. You could teach yourself witchcraft. But both the teacher and the pupil had to be the right kind of person.
“Diamanda?” she said. “Don't recall the name.”
“Really she's Lucy Tockley,” said Jason. “She says Diamanda is more. . . more witchy.”
“Ah. The one that wears the big floppy felt hat?”
“Yes, Mum.”
“She's the one that paints her nails black, too?”
“Yes, Mum.”
“Old Tockley sent her off to school, didn't he?”
“Yes, Mum. She came back while you was gone.”
“Ah.”
Nanny Ogg lit her pipe from the forge. Floppy hat and black nails and education. Oh, dear.
“How many of these gels are there, then?” she said.
“Bout half a dozen. But they'm good at it. Mum.”
“Yeah?”