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Rincewind sighed, and turned to Twoflower.
He wasn't there. Rincewind's eyes turned inevitably towards the base of the Tower of Art, and he was just in time to see the tourist's plump figure, sword inexpertly in hand, as it disappeared into a door.
Rincewind's feet made their own decision and, from the oint of view of his head, got it entirely wrong.
The other wizards watched him go.
'Well?' said Bethan. 'He's going.' . The wizards tried to avoid one another's eyes.
Eventually Wert said, 'We could try, I suppose. It doesn't seem to be spreading.'
'But we've got hardly any magic to speak of,' said one of the wizards.
'Have you got a better idea, then?'
One by one, their ceremonial robes glittering in the weird light, the wizards turned and trudged towards the tower.
The tower was hollow inside, with the stone treads of its staircase mortared spiral-fashion into the walls. Twoflower was already several turns up by the time Rincewind caught him.
'Hold on,' he said, as cheerfully as he could manage. 'This sort of thing is a job for the likes of Cohen, not you. No offence.'
'Would he do any good?'
Rincewind looked up at the actinic light that lanced down through the distant hole at the top of the staircase.
'No,' he admitted.
Then I'd be as good as him, wouldn't I?' said Twoflower, flourishing his looted sword.
Rincewind hopped after him, keeping as close to the wall as possible.
'You don't understand!' he shouted. There's unimaginable horrors up there!'
'You always said I didn't have any imagination.'
'It's a point, yes,' Rincewind conceded, 'but —'
Twoflower sat down.
'Look,' he said. 'I've been looking forward to something like this ever since I came here. I mean, this is an adventure, isn't it? Alone against the gods, that sort of thing?'
Rincewind opened and shut his mouth for a few seconds before the right words managed to come out.
'Can you use a sword?' he said weakly.
'I don't know. I've never tried.'
'You're mad!'
Twoflower looked at him with his head on one side. 'You're a fine one to talk,' he said. 'I'm here because I don't know any better, but what about you?' He pointed downwards, to where the other wizards were toiling up the stairs. 'What about them?'
Blue light speared down the inside of the tower. There was a peal of thunder.
The wizards reached them, coughing horribly and fighting for breath.
'What's the plan?' said Rincewind.
'There isn't one,' said Wert.
