'There's old Poorchick's plough horse-' Shawn began.
'Too slow.'
'I... er..., I've got a mule,' said Oats. 'The King was kind enough to let me put it in the stables.'
'Neither one thing nor t'other, eh?' said Granny. 'It suits you. That'll do for me, then. Fetch it up here and I'll be off to get the girls back.'
'What? I thought you wanted it to take you up to your cottagel Into Uberwald? Alone? I couldn't let you do that!'
'I ain't asking you to let me do anything. Now off you go and fetch it, otherwise Om will be angry, I expect.'
'But you can hardly stand up!'
'Certainly I can! Off you go.'
Oats turned to the assembled Lancrastians for support.
'You wouldn't let a poor old lady go off to confront monsters on a wild night like this, would you?'
They watched him owlishly for a while just in case something interestingly nasty was going to happen to him.
Then someone near the back said, 'So why should we care what happens to monsters?'
And Shawn Ogg said, 'That's Granny Weatherwax, that is.'
'But she's an old lady!' Oats insisted.
The crowd took a few steps back. Oats was clearly a dangerous man to be around.
'Would you go out alone on a night like this?' he said.
The voice at the back said, 'Depends if I knew where Granny Weatherwax was.'
'Don't think I didn't hear that, Bestiality Carter,' said Granny, but there was just a hint of satisfaction in her voice. 'Now, are we fetchin' your mule, Mr Oats?'
'Are you sure you can walk?'
'Of course I cant'
Oats gave up. Granny smirked triumphantly at the crowd and strode through them and towards the stables, with him trotting after her.
When he hurried around the corner he almost collided with her, standing as stiff as a rod.
'Is there anyone watchin' me?' she said.
'What? No, I don't think so. Apart from me, of course.'
'You don't count,' said Granny.
She sagged, and almost collapsed. He caught her, and she pummelled him on the arm. The wowhawk flapped its wings desperately.
'Let go! I just lost my footin', that's all!'
'Yes, yes, of course. You just lost your footing,' he said soothingly.
'And don't try to humour me, either.'
'Yes, yes, all right.'