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He began to say “lore”, but the word mumbled into silence.
“Where does it say it?” said Granny triumphantly. “Where does it say women can't be wizards?”
The following thoughts sped through Cutangle's mind:
. . . It doesn't say it anywhere, it says it everywhere.
. . . But young Simon seemed to say that everywhere is so much like nowhere that you can't really tell the difference .
. . . Do I want to be remembered as the first Archchancellor to allow women into the University? Still . . . I'd be remembered, that's for sure .
. . . She really is a rather impressive woman when she stands in that sort of way .
. . . That staff has got ideas of its own .
. . . There's a sort of sense to it .
. . . I would be laughed at .
. . . It might not work .
. . . It might work.
She couldn't trust them. But she had no choice.
Esk stared at the terrible faces peering down at her, and the lanky bodies, mercifully cloaked.
Her hands tingled.
In the shadow-world, ideas are real. The thought seemed to travel up her arms.
It was a buoyant sort of thought, a thought full of fizz. She laughed, and moved her hands apart, and the staff sparkled in her hands like solid electricity.
The Things started to chitter nervously and one or two at the back started to lurch away. Simon fell forward as his captors hastily let go, and he landed on his hands and knees in the sand.
“Use it!” he shouted. “That's it! They're frightened!”
Esk gave him a smile, and continued to examine the staff. For the first time she could see what the carvings actually were.
Simon snatched up the pyramid of the world and ran towards her.
“Come on!” he said. “They hate it!”
“Pardon?” said Esk.
“Use the staff,” said Simon urgently, and reached out for it. “Hey! It bit me!”
“Sorry,” said Esk. “What were we talking about?” She looked up and regarded the keening Things as it were for the first time.
“Oh, those. They only exist inside our heads. If we didn't believe in them, they wouldn't exist at all.”
Simon looked around at them.
“I can't honestly say I believe you,” he said.
“I think we should go home now,” said Esk. “People will be worrying. ”
She moved her hands together and the staff vanished, although for a moment her hands glowed as though they were cupped around a candle.
