Soul Music - Terry Pratchett [126]
“So I’ve…also…been here all the time?” she said.
YES. THE HISTORY OF THE LAST FEW DAYS HAS BEEN…DIFFERENT. YOU DID QUITE WELL IN YOUR EXAMS.
“Did I? Who sat them?”
YOU DID.
“Oh.”
Susan shrugged. “What grade did I get in Logic?”
“YOU GOT AN A.”
“Oh, come on. I always get A-plus!”
YOU SHOULD HAVE REVISED MORE.
Death swung up into the saddle.
“Just a minute,” said Susan, quickly. She knew she had to say it.
YES?
“What happened to…you know…changing the fate of one individual means changing the world?”
SOMETIMES THE WORLD NEEDS CHANGING.
“Oh. Er. Grandfather?
YES?
“Er…the swing…” said Susan. “The one down in the orchard. I mean…it was pretty good. A good swing.”
REALLY?
“I was just too young to appreciate it.”
YOU REALLY LIKED IT?
“It had…style. I shouldn’t think anyone else ever had one like it.”
THANK YOU.
“But…all this doesn’t alter anything, you know. The world is still full of stupid people. They don’t use their brains. They don’t seem to want to think straight.”
UNLIKE YOU?
“At least I make an effort. For example…if I’ve been here for the last few days, who’s in my bed now?”
I THINK YOU JUST WENT OUT FOR A MOONLIGHT STROLL.
“Oh. That’s all right, then.”
Death coughed.
I SUPPOSE…?
“Sorry?”
I KNOW IT’S RIDICULOUS, REALLY.
“What is?”
I SUPPOSE…YOU HAVEN’T GOT A KISS FOR YOUR OLD GRANDDAD?
Susan stared at him.
The blue glow in Death’s eyes gradually faded, and as the light died it sucked at her gaze so that it was dragged into the eye sockets and the darkness beyond…
…which went on and on, forever. There was no word for it. Even eternity was a human idea. Giving it a name gave it a length; admittedly, a very long one. But this darkness was what was left when eternity had given up. It was where Death lived. Alone.
She reached up and pulled his head down and kissed the top of his skull. It was smooth and ivory white, like a billiard ball.
She turned and stared at the shadowy buildings in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.
“I just hope I remembered to leave a window open.” Oh, well, nothing for it. She had to know, even if she felt angry with herself for asking. “Look, the…er, the people I met…do you know if I ever see—”
When she turned back there was nothing there. There were only a couple of hoofprints, fading on the cobbles.
There was no open window. She went around to the door and climbed the stairs in the darkness.
“Susan!”
Susan felt herself fading protectively, out of habit. She stopped it. There was no need for that. There had never been a need for that.
A figure stood at the end of the passage, in a circle of lamplight.
“Yes, Miss Butts?”
The headmistress peered at her, as if waiting for her to do something.
“Are you all right, Miss Butts?”
The teacher rallied. “Do you know it’s gone midnight? For shame! And you’re out of bed! And that is certainly not the school uniform!”
Susan looked down. It was always hard to get every little detail right. She was still wearing the black dress with the lace.
“Yes,” she said, “that’s right.” She gave Miss Butts a bright friendly smile.
“Well, there are school rules, you know,” said Miss Butts, but her tone was hesitant.
Susan patted her on the arm. “I think they’re probably more like guidelines, don’t you? Eulalie?”
Miss Butts’s mouth opened and shut. And Susan realized that the woman was actually quite short. She had a tall bearing and a tall voice and a tall manner, and was tall in every respect except height. Amazingly, she’d apparently been able to keep this a secret from people.
“But I’d better be off to bed,” said Susan, her mind dancing on adrenaline. “And you, too. It’s far too late to be wandering around drafty corridors at your age, don’t you think? Last day tomorrow, too. You don’t want to look tired when the parents arrive.”
“Er…yes. Yes. Thank you, Susan.”
Susan gave the forlorn teacher another warm smile and headed for the dormitory, where she undressed in the dark and got between the sheets.
The room was silent except for the sound of nine girls breathing quietly and