The blades met in mid-air with a noise like a cat sliding down a pane of glass.
'They both cheated!' said Keli. Ysabell nodded. 'Of course,' she said.
Mort jumped back, bringing the sword round in a too-slow arc that Death easily deflected, turning the parry into a wicked low sweep that Mort avoided only by a clumsy standing jump.
had you in mind?'
'You're now a priest. Name your own god.'
Cutwell curtsied, and took the crown from Ysabell.
'You're all making fun of me!' snapped Keli.
'Sorry,' said Mort, wearily. 'It's been rather a long day.'
'I hope I can do this right,' said Cutwell solemnly. 'I've never crowned anyone before.'
'I've never been crowned before!'
'Good,' said Cutwell soothingly. 'We can learn together.' He started to mutter some impressive words in a strange tongue. It was in fact a simple spell for ridding the clothing of fleas, but he thought, what the hell. And then he thought, gosh, in this reality I'm the most powerful wizard there ever was, that'd be something to tell my grandch . . . He gritted his teeth. There'd be some rules changed in this reality, that was for sure.
Ysabell sat down beside Mort and slipped her hand in his.
'Well?' she said quietly. This is the time. Has anything suggested itself?'
'No.'
The interface was more than halfway down the hall, slowing slightly as it relentlessly ground down the pressure of the intruding reality.
Something wet and warm blew in Mort's ear. He reached up and touched Binky's muzzle.
'Dear old horse,' he said. 'And I'm right out of sugar lumps. You'll have to find your way home by yourself —'
His hand stopped in mid-pat.
'We can all go home,' he said.
'I don't think father would like that very much,' said Ysabell, but Mort ignored her.
'Cutwell!'
'Yes?'
'We're leaving. Are you coming? You'll still exist when the interface closes.'
'Part of me will,' said the wizard.
'That's what I meant,' said Mort, swinging himself up on to Binky's back.
'But speaking as the part that won't, I'd like to join you,' said Cutwell quickly.
'I intend to stay here to die in my own kingdom,' said Keli.
'What you intend doesn't signify,' said Mort. 'I've come all the way across the Disc to rescue you, d'you see, and you're going to be rescued.'
'But I'm the queen!' said Keli. Uncertainty welled up in her eyes, and she spun round to Cutwell, who lowered his candle-stick guiltily. 'I heard you say the words! I am queen, aren't I?'
'Oh, yes,' said Cutwell instantly; and then, because a wizard's word is supposed to be harder than cast iron, added virtuously, 'And totally free from infestation, too.'