The Feegle let Verence go. He took a few tottering steps and collapsed on the floor, but the pixies weren't watching him.
He looked up.
His shadow twisted on the wall where it had been pinned. It writhed for a moment, trying to dutch at the arrow with insubstantial hands, and then faded.
Verence raised his hand. There seemed to be a shadow there, too, but at least this one looked as if it was the regular kind.
The old pixie hobbled over to him.
'All fine now,' he said.
'You shot my shadow?' said Verence.
'Aye, ye could call it a shade,' said the pixie. 'It's the 'fluence they put on ye. But ye'll be up and aboot in no time.'
'A boot?'
'Aboot the place,' said the pixie evenly. 'All hail, your kingy. I'm Big Aggie's Man. Ye'd call me the prime minister, I'm hazardin'. Will ye no' have a huge dram and a burned bannock while yer waitin'?'
Verence rubbed his face. He did feel better already. The fog was drifting away.
'How can I ever repay you?' he said.
The pixie's eyes gleamed happily.
'Oh, there's a wee bitty thing the carlin' Ogg said you could be givin' us, hardly important at all,' he said.
'Anything,' said Verence.
A couple of pixies came up staggering under a rolled-up parchment, which was unfolded in front of Verence. The old pixie was suddenly holding a quill pen.
'It's called a signature,' he said, as Verence stared at the tiny handwriting. 'An' make sure ye initial all the subclauses and codicils. We of the Nac mac Feegle are a simple folk,' he added, 'but we write verra comp-lic-ated documents.'
Mightily oats blinked at Granny over the top of his praying hands. She saw his gaze slide sideways to the axe, and then back to her.
'You wouldn't reach it in time,' said Granny, without moving. 'Should've got hold of it already if you were goin' to use it. Prayer's all very well. I can see where it can help you get your mind right. But an axe is an axe no matter what you believes.'
Oats relaxed a little. He'd expected a leap for the throat.
'If Hodgesaargh's made any tea, I'm parched,' said Granny. She leaned against the anvil, panting. Out of the corner of her eye she saw his hand move slowly.
'I'll get- I'll ask- I'll-'
'Man with his head screwed on properly, that falconer. A biscuit wouldn't come amiss.'
Oats's hand reached the axe handle.
'Still not quick enough,' said Granny. 'Keep hold of it, though. Axe first, pray later. You look like a priest. What's your god?'
'Er... Om.'
'That a he god or a she god?'
'A he. Yes. A he. Definitely a he.' It was one thing the Church hadn't schismed over, strangely. 'Er... you don't mind, do you?'
'Why should I mind?'
'Well... your colleagues keep telling me the Omnians used to burn witches...'