Something about meeting by moonlight, she said later.
And they awoke.
The sun was well over the Rim. People pulled themselves to their feet, staring at one another.
There was not an elf in sight.
Nanny Ogg was the first to speak. Witches can generally come to terms with what actually ('s, instead of insisting on what ought to be.
She looked up at the moors. “The first thing we do,” she said, “the first thing, is put back the stones.”
“The second thing,” corrected Magrat.
They both looked down at the still body of Granny Weatherwax. A few stray bees were flying disconsolate circles in the grass near her head.
Nanny Ogg winked at Magrat.
“You did well there, girl. Didn't think you had it in you to survive an attack like that. It fairly had me widdling myself.”
“I've had practice,” said Magrat darkly.
Nanny Ogg raised her eyebrows, but made no further comment. Instead she nudged Granny with her boot.
“Wake up, Esme,” she said. “Well done. We won.”
“Esme?”
Ridcully knelt down stiffly and picked up one of Granny's arms.
“It must have taken it out of her, all that effort,” burbled Nanny. “Freeing Magrat and everything-”
Ridcully looked up.
“She's dead,” he said.
He thrust both arms underneath the body and got unsteadily to his feet.
“Oh, she wouldn't do a thing like that,” said Nanny, but in the voice of someone whose mouth is running on automatic because their brain has shut down.
“She's not breathing and there's no pulse,” said the wizard.
“She's probably just resting.”
“Yes.”
Bees circled, high in the blue sky.
* * *
Ponder and the Librarian helped drag the stones back into position, occasionally using the Bursar as a lever. He was going through the rigid phase again.
They were unusual stones. Ponder noticed - quite hard, and with a look about them that suggested that once, long ago, they had been melted and cooled.
Jason Ogg found him standing deep in thought by one of them. He was holding a nail on a piece of string. But, instead of hanging from the string, the nail was almost at right angles, and straining as if desperate to reach the stone. The string thrummed. Ponder watched it as though mesmerized.
Jason hesitated. He seldom encountered wizards and wasn't at all sure how you were supposed to treat them.
He heard the wizard say: “It sucks. But why does it suck?”