Mrs Gogol nodded.

There was no sound for a while but the occasional puffing of a pipe.

Then there was a clink from outside, followed by a thoughtful pause.

A voice said, 'Gytha Ogg? I know you're in there.'

The outline of Mrs Gogol took its pipe out of its mouth.

'That's good,' she said. 'Good sense of taste there.'

The tent flap opened.

'Hallo, Esme,' said Nanny Ogg.

'Blessings be on this . . . tent,' said Granny Weather-wax, peering into the gloom.

'This here's Mrs Gogol,' said Nanny. 'She's by way of bein' a voodoo lady. That's what witches are in these parts.'

'They ain't the only witches in these parts,' said Granny.

'Mrs Gogol was very impressed at you detecting me in here,' said Nanny.

'It wasn't hard,' said Granny. 'Once I'd spotted that Greebo washing himself outside, the rest was all deduction.'

In the gloom of the tent Nanny had formed a mental picture of Mrs Gogol as being old. What she hadn't expected, when the voodoo lady stepped out into the open air, was a handsome middle-aged woman taller than Granny. Mrs Gogol wore heavy gold earrings, a white blouse and a full red skirt with flounces. Nanny could feel Granny Weatherwax's disapproval. What they said about women with red skirts was even worse than whatever they said about women with red shoes, whatever that was.

Mrs Gogol stopped and raised an arm. There was a flurry of wings.

Greebo, who had been rubbing obsequiously against Nanny's leg, looked up and hissed. The largest and blackest cockerel Nanny had ever seen had settled on Mrs Gogol's shoulder. It turned on her the most intelligent stare she had ever seen on a bird.

'My word,' she said, taken aback. 'That's the biggest cock I've ever seen, and I've seen a few in my time.'

Mrs Gogol raised one disapproving eyebrow.

'She never had no proper upbringing,' said Granny.

'What with living next to a chicken farm and all, is what I was going to say next,' said Nanny.

'This is Legba, a dark and dangerous spirit,' said Mrs Gogol. She leaned closer and spoke out of the corner of

her mouth. 'Between you and me, he just a big black cockerel. But you know how it is.'

'It pays to advertise,' Nanny agreed. 'This is Greebo. Between you and me, he's a fiend from hell.'

'Well, he's a cat,' said Mrs Gogol, generously. 'It's only to be expected.'

Dear Jason and everyone,

Isn't it amazing the things what happen when you dont expect it, for example we met Mrs Gogol who works as a coke by day but is a Voodoo witch, you mustnt bekive all the stuff about black magic, exetra, this is a Blind, shes just like us only different. Its true about the zombies though but its not what you think . . .

Genua was a strange city, Nanny decided. You got off the main streets, walked along a side road, went through a little gate and suddenly there were trees everywhere, with moss and them llamas hanging from them, and the ground began to wobble underfoot and become swamp. On either side of the track there were dark pools in which, here and there, among the lilies, were the kind of logs the witches had never seen before.

'Them's bloody big newts,' she said.

'They're alligators.'

'By gods. They must get good grub.'

Tags: Terry Pratchett Discworld Fantasy
Source: readsnovelonline.net