Nanny held up her hand.
“I know what you're going to say,” she said. “But there wasn't any danger to the little mite.”
“But you-”
“Me?” said Nanny. “I hardly did anything. They didn't know he was going to run into the circle, did they? They both /reacted just like they normally would, didn't they? Fair's fair.”
“Well, in a way, but-”
“No one cheated,” said Nanny
Margrat sagged into silence. Nanny patted her on the shoulder.
“So you won't be telling anyone you saw me wave the bag of sweets at him, will you?” she said.
“No, Nanny.”
“There's a good going-to-be-queen.”
“Nanny?”
“Yes, dear?”
Magrat took a deep breath.
“How did Verence know when we were coming back?”
It seemed to Magrat that Nanny thought for just a few seconds too long.
“Couldn't say,” she said at last. “Kings are a bit magical, mind. They can cure dandruff and that. Probably he woke up one morning and his royal prerogative gave him a tickle.”
The trouble with Nanny Ogg was that she always looked as if she was lying. Nanny Ogg had a pragmatic attitude to the truth; she told it if it was convenient and she couldn't be bothered to make up something more interesting.
“Keeping busy up there, are you?” she said.
“One's doing very well, thank you,” said Magrat, with what she hoped was queenly hauteur.
“Which one?” said Nanny.
“Which one what?”
“Which one's doing very well?”
“Me!”
“You should have said,” said Nanny, her face poker straight. “So long as you're keeping busy, that's the important thing.”
“He knew we were coming back,” said Magrat firmly. “He'd even got the invitations sorted out. Oh, by the way . . . there's one for you-”
“I know, one got it this morning,” said Nanny. “Got all that fancy nibbling on the edges and gold and everything. Who's Ruservup?”
Magrat had long ago got a handle on Nanny Ogg's world-view.
“RSVP,” she said. “It means you ought to say if you're coming.”
“Oh, one'll be along all right, catch one staying away,” said Nanny. “Has one's Jason sent one his invite yet? Thought not. Not a skilled man with a pen, our Jason.”
“Invitation to what?” said Magrat. She was getting fed up with ones.