02_The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett

Author:Terry Pratchett
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Fantasy:Humour
ISBN: 9780451152978
Publisher: Roc
Published: 2010-01-21T00:00:00+00:00

Around noon the following day they rode into a small, mud-walled city surrounded by fields still lush and green. There seemed to be a lot of traffic going the other way, though. Huge carts rumbled past them. Herds of livestock ambled along the crown of the road. Old ladies stomped past carrying entire households and haystacks on their backs.

“Plague?” said Rincewind, stopping a man pushing a handcart full of children.

He shook his head. “It’s the star, friend,” he said. “Haven’t you seen it in the sky?”

“We couldn’t help noticing it, yes.”

“They say that it’ll hit us on Hogswatchnight and the seas will boil and the countries of the Disc will be broken and kings will be brought down and the cities will be as lakes of glass,” said the man. “I’m off to the mountains.”

“That’ll help, will it?” said Rincewind doubtfully.

“No, but the view will be better.”

Rincewind rode back to the others.

“Everyone’s worried about the star,” he said. “Apparently there’s hardly anyone left in the cities, they’re all frightened of it.”

“I don’t want to worry anyone,” said Bethan, “but hasn’t it struck you as unseasonably hot?”

“That’s what I said last night,” said Twoflower. “Very warm, I thought.”

“I shuspect it’ll get a lot hotter,” said Cohen. “Let’sh get on into the city.”

They rode through echoing streets that were practically deserted. Cohen kept peering at merchants’ signs until he reined his horse and said, “Thish ish what I’ve been looking for. You find a temple and a priesht, I’ll join you shortly.”

“A jeweler?” said Rincewind.

“It’s a shuprishe.”

“I could do with a new dress, too,” said Bethan.

“I’ll shteal you one.”

There was something very oppressive about the city, Rincewind decided. There was also something very odd.

Almost every door was painted with a large red star.

“It’s creepy,” said Bethan. “As if people wanted to bring the star here.”

“Or keep it away,” said Twoflower.

“That won’t work. It’s too big,” said Rincewind. He saw their faces turned toward him.

“Well, it stands to reason, doesn’t it?” he said lamely.

“No,” said Bethan.

“Stars are small lights in the sky,” said Twoflower. “One fell down near my home once—big white thing, size of a house, glowed for weeks before it went out.”

“This star is different,” said a voice. “Great A’Tuin has climbed the beach of the universe. This is the great ocean of space.”

“How do you know?” said Twoflower.

“Know what?” said Rincewind.

“What you just said. About beaches and oceans.”

“I didn’t say anything!”

“Yes you did, you silly man!” yelled Bethan. “We saw your lips going up and down and everything!”

Rincewind shut his eyes. Inside his mind he could feel the Spell scuttling off to hide behind his conscience, and muttering to itself.

“All right, all right,” he said. “No need to shout. I—I don’t know how I know, I just know—”

“Well, I wish you’d tell us.”

They turned the corner.

All the cities around the Circle Sea had a special area set aside for the gods, of which the Disc had an elegant sufficiency. Usually they were crowded and not very attractive from an architectural point of view.

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