“Where’s Ludmilla?” he said.
Windle smiled awkwardly. Mrs. Cake’s premonitions could be very wearing.
“It’d be nice to know that Lupine was being looked after if I…went,” he said. “I wonder, could you take him in?”
“Well…” said Mrs. Cake uncertainly.
“But he’s—” Reg Shoe began, and then saw Windle’s expression.
“I must admit it’d be a relief to have a dog around the place,” said Mrs. Cake. “I’m always worrying about Ludmilla. There’s a lot of strange people around.”
“But your dau—” Reg began again.
“Shut up, Reg,” said Doreen.
“That’s all settled, then,” said Windle. “And have you got any trousers?”
“What?”
“Any trousers in the house?”
“Well, I suppose I’ve got some that belonged to the late Mr. Cake, but why—”
“Sorry,” said Windle. “My mind was wandering. Don’t know what I’m saying, half the time.”
“Ah,” said Reg, brightly, “I see. What you’re saying is that when he—”
Doreen nudged him viciously.
“Oh,” said Reg. “Sorry. Don’t mind me. I’d forget my own head if it wasn’t sewn on.”
Windle leaned back, and shut his eyes. He could hear the occasional scrap of conversation. He could hear Arthur Winkings asking the Archchancellor who did his decorating, and where the University got its vegetables. He heard the Bursar moaning about the cost of exterminating all the cursewords, which had somehow survived the recent changes and had taken up residence in the darkness of the roof. He could even, if he strained his perfect hearing, hear the whoops of Schleppel in the distant cellars.
They didn’t need him. At last. The world didn’t need Windle Poons.
He got up quietly and lurched to the door.
“I’m just going out,” he said. “I may be some time.”
Ridcully gave him a half-hearted nod, and concentrated on what Arthur had to say about how the Great Hall could be entirely transformed with some pine-effect wallpaper.
Windle shut the door behind him and leaned against the thick, cool wall.
Oh, yes. There was one other thing.
“Are you there, One-Man-Bucket?” he said softly. how did you know?
“You’re generally around.”
heh heh, you’ve caused some real trouble there! you know what’s going to happen next full moon?
“Yes, I do. And I think, somehow, that they do too.”
but he’ll become a wolfman.
“Yes. And she’ll become a wolfwoman.”
all right, but what kind of relationship can people have one week in four?