'She just said it again. Didn't you hear?'
Agnes moved closer, and Granny's limp hand was suddenly gripping her shoulder. She could feel the heat of it through her sodden dress and made out the word in the hiss of the rain.
'Iron?' said Oats. 'Did she say iron?'
'There's the castle forge next door,' said Agnes. 'Let's get her in there.'
The forge was dark and cold, its fire only lit when there was work to be done. They pulled Granny inside and she slipped out of their grip and landed on hands and knees on the flagstones.
'But iron's no good against vampires, is it?' said Agnes. 'I've never heard of people using iron-'
Granny made a noise somewhere between a snort and a growl. She pulled herself across the floor, leaving a trail of mud, until she reached the anvil. It was simply a great long lump of iron to accommodate the half-skilled metal-bashing occasionally needed to keep the castle running. Still kneeling, Granny grabbed at it with both hands and laid her forehead against it.
'Granny, what can-' Agnes began.
'Go where the others... are,' Granny Weatherwax croaked. 'It'll need three... witches if this goes... wrong... you'll have to face... something terrible...'
'What terrible thing?'
'Me. Do it now.'
Agnes backed away. On the black iron, by Granny's fingers, little flecks of rust were spitting and jumping.
'I'd better go! Keep an eye on her!'
'But what if-'
Granny flung her head back, her eyes screwed shut.
'Get away!' she screamed.
Agnes went white.
'You heard what she said!' she shouted, and ran out into the rain.
Granny's head slumped forward against the iron again. Around her fingers red sparks danced on the metal.
'Mister priest,' she said in a hoarse whisper. 'Somewhere in this place is an axe. Fetch it here!'
Oats looked around desperately. There was an axe, a small double-headed one, lying by a grindstone.
'Er, I've found one,' he ventured.
Granny's head jerked back. Her teeth were gritted, but she managed to say, 'Sharpen it!'
Oats glanced at the grindstone and licked his lips nervously.
'Sharpen it right now, I said!'
He pulled off his jacket, rolled up his sleeves, took up the axe and put a foot on the wheel's treadle.
Sparks leapt off the blade as the wheel spun.
'Then find some wood an'... cut a point on it. And find... a hammer...'
The hammer was easy. There was a rack of tools by the wheel. A few seconds' desperate rummaging in the debris by the wall produced a fence post.
'Madam, what are you wanting me to-'