'Is the baby all right?' she said.
'Magrat and Es... young Esme are locked up in the crypt. It's a very strong door,' said Nanny.
'And Thcrapth ith guarding them,' said Igor. 'He'th a wonderful guard dog.'
Granny raised her eyebrows and looked Igor up and down.
'I don't think I know this... these gentlemen,' she said.
'Oh, this is Igor,' said Nanny. 'A man of many parts.'
'So it seems,' said Granny.
Nanny glared at Mightily Oats. 'What did you bring him for?' she said.
'Couldn't seem to shake him off,' said Granny.
'I always try hiding behind the sofa, myself,' said Nanny. Oats looked away.
There was a scream from somewhere on the battlements. The phoenix had spotted another vampire.
'All over now bar sweeping up the dust, then,' said Nanny. 'They didn't seem very smart-'
'The Count's still here,' said Granny flatly.
'Oh, I vote we just set fire to the place and go home,' said Nanny. 'It's not as though he'll be coming back to Lancre in a hurry-'
'There'th a crowd coming,' said Igor.
'I can't hear anything,' said Nanny.
'I've got very good ear'th,' said Igor.
'Ah, well, of course some of us don't get to choose,' said Nanny.
There was a clattering of footsteps across the bridge and people were suddenly swarming over the rubble.
'Isn't that Agnes?' said Nanny. Normally there'd be no mistaking the figure advancing across the courtyard, but there was something about the walk, the way every foot thudded down as though the boots were not on speaking terms with the earth. And the arms, too, swung in a way-
'I can't be having with this!' Agnes shouted, marching up to Granny. 'I can't think straight. It's you, isn't it?'
Granny reached out and touched the wounds on her neck.
'Ah, I see,' she said. 'One of them bit you, yes?'
'Yes! And somehow you spoke to me!'
'Not me. That was something in your blood talkin', I reckon,' said Granny. 'Who're all these people? Why's that man trying to set fire to the wall? Don't he know stone don't burn?'
'Oh, that's Claude, he's a bit single minded. Just let me know if he picks up a stake, will you? Look, they're from Escrow, it's a town not far away... The Magpyrs treated them like... well... pets. Farm animals! Just like they were trying to do back home!'
'We ain't leaving until we've dealt with the Count,' said Granny. 'Otherwise he'll be sneaking back-'
'Er, excuse me,' said Oats, who seemed to have been thinking about something. 'Excuse me, but did someone mention that the Queen was locked up in the crypt?'
'Safe as houses,' said Nanny. 'Huge thick door and you can bar it from the inside.'
'How safe are houses from vampires?' said Oats.