Unseen Academicals (Discworld 37)

'I think perhaps that it is not such a good idea.'

'Didn't do me any harm,' said Trev robustly.

'The things that I do not know... The things that I do not know... ' muttered Nutt.

'What about them?' said Glenda.

'The things that I do not know... ' said Nutt, 'I think are behind the door, because I think I put them there because I think I do not want to know them.'

'So you must know what it is you don't want to know?' said Glenda.

'Yes.'

'Well, how bad could it be?' said Trev.

'Perhaps it is very bad,' said Nutt.

'What would you say if it was me?' said Glenda. 'I want the truth, now.'

'Well,' said Nutt, stuttering slightly, 'I think I would say that you should look behind the door to face the things that you do not want to know so we may confront them together. That would certainly be the advice of Von Kladpoll in Doppelte Ber¨¹hrungssempfindung. Indeed, doing so would almost be a fundamental part of the analysis of the hidden mind.'

'Well then,' said Glenda, standing back.

'But what sort of bad things could possibly be in your head, Miss Glenda?' said Nutt, managing gallantry even in the fetid circumstances of the vats.

'Oh, there's a few,' said Glenda. 'You don't go through life without picking up a few.'

'I've had dreams in the night,' said Nutt.

'Oh, well, everyone has bad dreams,' said Glenda.

'These were more than dreams,' said Nutt. He unfolded his arms and held up a hand.

Trev whistled.

Glenda said, 'Oh,' and then, 'Should they be like that?'

'I have no idea,' said Nutt.

'Do they hurt?'

'No.'

'Well, maybe that sort of thing 'appens when goblins get a bit older,' said Trev.

'Yes, perhaps they need claws,' said Glenda.

'Yesterday was wonderful,' said Nutt. 'I was part of the team. The team were around me. I was happy. And now... '

Trev held up a piece of grubby string and the battered but shiny tin can. 'Perhaps you should find out?'

'I might be getting all this wrong,' said Glenda, 'but if you don't want to know what the things are that you don't want to know, then that means that there are going to be even more things that you don't want to know and I imagine that sooner or later, if that goes on, your head will cave in around the hole.'

'There is something in what both of you say,' said Nutt reluctantly.

'Then give me a hand to put him on the couch,' said Trev. 'Should he be covered in sweat like that?'

'I don't think so,' said Glenda.