Ridcully blinked. People were milling around and being harangued by a small young man in loose-fitting chain-mail and one arm in a sling, who seemed to be the only person
with any grip on things.
When he was certain he could walk straight, Ridcully
headed toward him.
“What's going on, young-” he began, and then stopped.
Shawn Ogg looked around.
“The scheming minx!” said Ridcully, to the air in general. '“Oh, go back and get it then,' she said, and I fell right for it! Even if I could cut the mustard again I don't know where we were!”
“Sir?” said Shawn.
Ridcully shook himself. “What's happening?” he said.
“I don't know!” said Shawn, who was almost in tears. “I think we're being attacked by elves! Nothing anyone's telling me's making any sense! Somehow they arrived during the Entertainment! Or something!”
Ridcully looked around at the frightened, bewildered people.
“And Miss Magrat's gone out to fight them alone!” Ridcully looked perplexed.
“Who's Miss Magrat?”
“She's going to be queen! The bride! You know? Magrat Garlick?”
Ridcully's mind could digest one fact at a time.
“What's she gone out for?”
“They captured the king!”
“Did you know they've got Esme Weatherwax as well?”
“What, Granny Weatherwax?”
“I came back to rescue her,” said Ridcully, and then realized that this sounded either nonsense or cowardly.
Shawn was too upset to notice. “I just hope they're not collecting witches,” he said. “They'll need our mum to get the complete set.”
“They ain't got me, then,” said Nanny Ogg, behind him.
“Mum? How did you get in?”
“Broomstick. You'd better get some people with bows up on the roof. I came down that way. So can others.”
“What're we going to do, Mum?”
“There's bands of elves all over the place,” said Nanny, “and there's a big glow over the Dancers-”
“We must attack them!” shouted Casanunda. “Give 'em a taste of cold steel!”
“Good man, that dwarf!” said Ridcully. “That's right! I'll get my crossbow!”
“There's too many of them,” said Nanny flatly.
“Granny and Miss Magrat are out there, Mum,” said Shawn. “Miss Magrat came over all strange and put on armour and went out to fight all of them!”