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It looked far more like Ankh-Morpork than Ankh-Morpork ever had.
Ginger had been ushered off to the changing tents before Victor had a chance to speak to her, and then shooting started and it was too late.
Century of the Fruitbat (and now it said on the sign, in slightly smaller type: More Stars than There Are in the Heavens[21]) believed that a click should be made in less than ten times the time it took to watch. Blown Away was going to be different. There were battles. There were night scenes, the imps painting away furiously by torchlight. Dwarfs worked merrily in a mine never seen before or since, where fake gold nuggets the size of chickens had been stuck in the plaster walls. Since Soll demanded that their lips should be seen to move they sang a risque version of the Hihohiho song, which had rather caught on among holy Woods dwarf population.
It was just possible that Soll knew how it all fitted together. Victor didnt. It was always best, he had learned, never to try to follow the plot of any click you were in, and in any case Soll wasnt just shooting back to front but sides to middle as well. It was totally confusing, just like real life.
When he did get a chance to talk to Ginger, two handlemen and everyone else in the cast who currently had nothing to do were watching them.
OK, people, said Soll. This is the scene near the end where Victor meets Ginger after all theyve been through together, and on the card hell be saying- He stared at the big black oblong handed to him. Yes, hell be saying “Frankly, my dear, Id give anything for one of . . . Hargas . . . prime . . . pork . . . ribs . . . in . . . special . . . curry . . . sauce. . . ”
Solls voice slowed and stopped. When he breathed in, it was like a whale surfacing.
Who wrote THIS?
One of the artists cautiously raised a hand.
Mr Dibbler told me to, he said quickly.
Soll leafed through the big heap of cards that represented the dialogue for a large part of the click. His lips tightened. He nodded to one of the people with clipboards and said, Could you just run ever to the office and ask my uncle to stroll over here, if hes got a moment?
Soll pulled a card out of the stack and read, “I sure miss the old mine but for a taste of real country cooking I always . . . go . . . to . . . Harps . . . House . . . Of . . . ” I see.
He selected another at random. Ah. I see here a wounded Royalist soldiers last words are “What I wouldnt give right now for a $1 Eat-Till-It-Hurts special at . . . Hargas . . . House . . . of . . . Ribs . . . Mother!”
I think its very moving, said Dibbler, behind him. There wont be a dry eye in the house, youll see.
Uncle- Soll began.
Dibbler raised his hands. I said Id raise the money somehow, he said, and Sham Hargas even helping us with the food for the barbecue scene.
You said you werent going to interfere with the script!
Thats not interfering, said Dibbler stolidly. I dont see how that could be considered interfering. I just polished it up here and there. I think its rather an improvement. Besides, Harps All-YouCan-Gobble-For-A-Dollar is amazing value these days.
But the click is set hundreds of years ago! shouted Soll.
We=ell, said Dibbler. I suppose someone could say, “I wonder if the food at Hargas House of Ribs will still be as good in hundreds of years time-”
That isnt moving pictures. That is crass commerce!
I hope so, said Dibbler. Were in real trouble if it isnt.
Now look- Soll began, threateningly.
Ginger turned to Victor.
Can we go somewhere and talk? she said, quietly. Without your dog, she added, in her normal voice. Definitely without your dog.
You want to talk to me? said Victor.
There hasnt been much of a chance, has there?
Right. Certainly. Gaspode, stay. Theres a good dog. Victor derived a quiet satisfaction from the brief look of pure disgust that flashed across Gaspodes face.
Behind them the eternal Holy Wood argument had wound up to cruising speed, with Soll and C. M. O. T. standing nose to nose and arguing in a circle of amused and interested staff.
I dont have to take this, you know! I can resign!
No, you cant! Youre my nephew! You cant resign from being a nephew-!
Ginger and Victor sat down on the steps of a canvas and wood mansion. They had absolute privacy. No-one was going to bother to watch them with a rip-snorter of a row going on a few yards away.
Er, said Ginger. Her fingers twisted among themselves. Victor couldnt help noticing that the nails were worn down.
Er, she said again. Her face was a picture of anguish, and pale under the make-up. She isnt beautiful, Victor felt himself think, but you could have real trouble believing it.
I, er, dont know how to say this, she said, but, er, has anyone noticed me walking in my sleep?
To the hill? said Victor.
Her head whipped around like a snake.
You know? How do you know? Have you been spying on me? she snapped. It was the old Ginger again, all fire and venom and the aggressiveness of paranoia.
Laddie found you . . . asleep yesterday afternoon, said
Victor, leaning back.
During the day?
Yes.
She put her hands to her mouth. Its worse than I thought, she whispered. Its getting worse! You know when you met me up the hill? Just before Dibbler found us, and thought we were . . . spooning . . . she blushed.
Well, I didnt even know how Id got there!
And you went back last night, said Victor.
The dog told you, did he? she said, dully.
Yes. Sorry.
Its every night now, moaned Ginger. I know, because even if I go back to bed theres sand all over the floor and my nails are all broken! I go there every night and I dont know why!
Youre trying to open the door, said Victor. Theres this big ancient door now, where part of the hill has slid away, and-
Yes, Ive seen it, but why?
Well, Ive got a couple of ideas, said Victor cautiously.
Tell me!
Um. Well, have you heard of something called a genius loci?,
No. Her brow wrinkled. Its clever, is it?
Its the sort of soul of a place. It can be quite strong. It can be made strong, by worship or love or hate, if it goes on long enough. And Im wondering if the spirit of a place can call to people. And animals, too. I mean, Holy Wood is a different sort of place, isnt it? People act differently here. Everywhere else, the most important things are gods or money or cattle. Here, the most important thing is to be important.
He had her full attention. Yes? she said encouragingly, and, It doesnt sound too bad so far.
Im getting to the bad bit.
Oh.
Victor swallowed. His brain was bubbling like a bouillon. Halfremembered facts surfaced tantalizingly and sank again. Dry old tutors in high old rooms had been telling him dull old things which were suddenly as urgent as a knife, and he dredged desperately for them.
Im not- he croaked. He cleared his throat. Im not sure its right, though, he managed. Its come from somewhere else. It can happen. Youve heard of ideas whose time has come?
Yes.
Well, theyre the tame ones. Theres other ones. Ideas so full of vigour they dont even wait for their time. Wild ideas. Escaped ideas. And the trouble is, when you get something like that, you get a hole-
He looked at her polite, blank expression. Analogies bubbled to the surface like soggy croutons. Imagine all the worlds that have ever been are in one sense pressed together like a sandwich . . . a pack of cards . . . a book . . . a folded sheet . . . if conditions are right, things can go through rather than along . . . but if you open a gate between worlds, there are terrible dangers, as for instance . . .
As for instance . . .
As for instance . . .
As for instance what?
It rose up in his memory like the suddenly-discovered bit of suspi
cious tentacle just when you thought it was safe to eat the paella.
It could be that something else is trying to come through the same way, he ventured. In the, uh, in the nowhere between the somewhere there are creatures which on the whole Id rather not describe to you.
You already have, said Ginger, in a tense voice.
And, uh, theyre generally quite keen to get into the real worlds and perhaps theyre somehow making contact with you when youre asleep and . . . He gave up. He couldnt bear her expression any more.
I could be entirely wrong, he said quickly.
Youve got to stop me opening the door, she whispered. I could be one of Them.
Oh, I dont think so, said Victor loftily. Theyve generally got too many arms, I think.
I tried putting tacks on the floor to wake myself up, said Ginger.
Sounds awful. Did it work?
No. They were all back in their bag in the morning. I must have picked them up again.
Victor pursed his lips. That could be a good sign, he said.
Why?
If you were being summoned by, uh, unpleasant things,
I think they wouldnt bother what you walked over.
Urgh.
You havent got any idea why its all happening, have you? Victor said.
No! But I always get the same dream. Her eyes narrowed. Hey, how come you know all this stuff?
I - a wizard told me, once, said Victor.
Youre not a wizard yourself?
Absolutely not. No wizards in Holy Wood. And this dream?
Oh, its too strange to mean anything. Anyway, I used to dream it even when I was small. It starts off with this mountain, only its not a normal mountain, because-
Detritus the troll loomed over them.
Young Mr Dibbler says its time to start shooting again,
he rumbled.
Will you come to my room tonight? hissed Ginger.
Please? You can wake me up if I start sleepwalking again.
Well, er, yes, but your landlady might not like it- Victor began.
Oh, Mrs Cosmopilite is very broadminded, said Ginger.
She is?
Shell just think were having sex, said Ginger.
Ah, said Victor hollowly. Thats all right, then.
Young Mr Dibbler dont like being kept waiting, said Detritus.
Oh, shut up, said Ginger. She stood up and brushed the dust off her dress. Detritus blinked. People didnt usually tell him to shut up. A few worried fault-lines appeared on his brow. He turned and tried another loom, this time aimed at Victor.
Young Mr Dibbler dont like-
Oh, go away, snapped Victor, and wandered off after her.
Detritus stood alone and screwed up his eyes in the effort of thought. Of course, people did occasionally say things like Go away and Shut up to him, but always with the tremor of terrified bravado in their voice, and so naturally he always riposted Hur hur and hit them. But no-one had ever spoken to him as if his existence was the last thing in the world they could possibly be persuaded to worry about. His massive shoulders sagged. Perhaps all this hanging around Ruby was bad for him.
Soll was standing over the artist who lettered the cards. He looked up as Victor and Ginger approached.
Right, he said, places, everyone. Well go straight on to the ballroom scene. He looked pleased with himself.
Are the words all sorted out? said Victor.
No problem, said Soll proudly. He glanced at the sun. Weve lost a lot of time, he added, so lets not waste any more.
Fancy you being able to get C. M. O. T. to give in like that, said Victor.
He had no argument at all. Hes gone back to his office to sulk, I expect, said Soll loftily. OK, everyone, lets all get-