[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
.Only.She drummed her fingers on the edge of the bed, and appeared to reach adecision. Who s the most important wizard around here? she demanded. Um, Lord Cutangle, said Esk. He s the Archchancellor.He was one of theones who was in here. The fat one, or the one like a streak of vinegar?Esk dragged her mind from the image of Simon on the cold desert and foundherself saying:  He s an Eighth Level wizard and a 33-degree mage, actually. You mean he s bent? said Granny. All this hanging around wizards hasmade you take them seriously, my girl.They all call themselves the Lord Highthis and the Imperial That, it s all part of the game.Even magicians do it, you dthink they d be more sensible at least, but no, they call around saying they re theAmazing-Bonko-and-Doris.Anyway, where is this High Rumtiddlypo? They ll be at dinner in the Great Hall, said Esk. Can he bring Simon back,then? That s the difficult part, said Granny. I daresay we could all get somethingback easily enough, walking and talking just like anyone.Whether it would beSimon is quite another sack of ferrets.She stood up. Let s find this Great Hall, then.No time to waste. Um, women aren t allowed in, said Esk.Granny stopped in the doorway.Her shoulders rose.She turned around veryslowly. What did you say? she said. Did these old ears deceive me, and don t saythey did because they didn t. Sorry, said Esk. Force of habit. I can see you ve been getting ideas below your station, said Granny coldly. Go and find someone to watch over the lad, and let s see what s so great aboutthis hall that I mustn t set foot in it.And thus it was that while the entire faculty of Unseen University were diningin the venerable hall the doors were flung back with a dramatic effect that wasrather spoiled when one of them rebounded off a waiter and caught Granny acrack on the shin.Instead of the defiant strides she had intended to make acrossthe chequered floor she was forced to half-hop, half-limp.But she hoped that shehopped with dignity.124Esk hurried along behind her, acutely aware of the hundreds of eyes that wereturned towards them.The roar of conversation and the clatter of cutlery faded away.A couple ofchairs were knocked over.At the far end of the hall she could see the most seniorwizards at their high table, which in fact bobbed a few feet off the floor.Theywere staring.A medium-grade wizard  Esk recognised him as a lecturer in Applied Astrol-ogy  rushed towards them, waving his hands. Nononono, he shouted. Wrong door.You must go away. Don t mind me, said Granny calmly, pushing past him. Nonono, it s against the lore, you must go away now.Ladies are not allowedin here! I m not a lady, I m a witch, said Granny.She turned to Esk. Is he veryimportant? I don t think so, said Esk. Right. Granny turned to the lecturer:  Go and find me an important wizard,please.Quickly.Esk tapped her on the back.A couple of wizards with a rather greater presenceof mind had nipped smartly out of the door behind them, and now several collegeporters were advancing threateningly up the hall, to the cheers and catcalls of thestudents.Esk had never much liked the porters, who lived a private life in theirlodge, but now she felt a pang of sympathy for them.Two of them reached out hairy hands and grabbed Granny s shoulders.Herarm disappeared behind her back and there was a brief flurry of movement thatended with the men hopping away, clutching bits of themselves and swearing. Hatpin, said Granny.She grabbed Esk with her free hand and swept towardsthe high table, glaring at anyone who so much as looked as if they were going toget in her way.The younger students, who knew free entertainment when theysaw it, stamped and cheered and banged their plates on the long tables.The hightable settled on the tiles with a thump and the senior wizards hurriedly lined upbehind Cutangle as he tried to summon up his reserves of dignity.His effortsdidn t really work; it is very hard to look dignified with a napkin tucked into one scollar.He raised his hands for silence, and the hall waited expectantly as Granny andEsk approached him.Granny was looking interestedly at the ancient paintings andstatues of bygone mages. Who are them buggers? she said out of the corner of her mouth. They used to be chief wizards, whispered Esk. They look constipated.I never met a wizard who was regular, said Granny. They re a nuisance to dust, that s all I know, said Esk [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]