'Is it?'
'Lots of people think so.'
That's a shame. I've done good business here. Too magical, they say! What's wrong with magic, that's what I'd like to know?'
'What will you do?' said Twoflower.
'Oh, go to some other universe, there's plenty around,' said the shopkeeper airily. 'Thanks for telling me about the star, though. Can I drop you off somewhere?'
The Spell gave Rincewind's mind a kick.
''Er, no,' he said, 'I think perhaps we'd better stay. To ee it through, you know.'
'You're not worried about this star thing, then?'
'The star is life, not death,' said Riricewind.
'How's that?'
'How's what?'
Don't be an idiot, it hasn't got any eyes,' snapped Cohen.
'Sorry, sorry,' said Lackjaw hurriedly. 'It's watching the wall without eyes, sorry.'
'I think it's worried about something,' said Cohen.
'Well, it would be, wouldn't it,' said Lackjaw. 'I expect it just wants us to go off somewhere and leave it alone.'
'I think it's very puzzled,' Cohen added.
'Yes, it certainly looks puzzled,' said the dwarf. Cohen glared at him.
'How can you tell?' he snapped.
It struck Lackjaw that the roles were unfairly reversing. He looked from Cohen to the box, his mouth opening and shutting.
'How can you tell?' he said. But Cohen wasn't listening anyway. He sat down in front of the box, assuming that the bit with the keyhole was the front, and watched it intently. Lackjaw backed away. Funny, said his mind, but the damn thing is looking at me.
'All right,' said Cohen, 'I know you and me don't see eye to eye, but we're all trying to find someone we care for, okay?'
'I'm—' said Lackjaw, and realised that Cohen was talking to the box.
'So tell me where they've gone.'
As Lackjaw looked on in horror the Luggage extended 161 its little legs, braced itself, and ran full tilt at the nearest wall. Clay bricks and dusty mortar exploded around it.
Cohen peered through the hole. There was a small grubby storeroom on the other side. The Luggage stood in the middle of the floor, radiating extreme bafflement.
'Shop!' said Twoflower.
'Anyone here?' said Bethan.
'Urrgh,' said Rincewind.
'I think we ought to sit him down somewhere and get him a glass of water,' said Twoflower. 'If there's one here.'
'There's everything else,' said Bethan.