Free The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett Page B

elves on a proper raiding party . . . fetch another child to play with. Have her revenge on the Aching witch. The Queen smiled at the thought, licking her lips in anticipation of the fun ahead.
    But for now there was other troubling news to deal with. Goblins! Mere worms, who should be grateful if an elvish lord or lady even looked their way, but who were now foolishly refusing to do her bidding. She would show them all, she thought. Lords Lankin, Mustardseed, Peaseblossom – they would all see how powerful she was again. They would see her strike down this goblin filth . . .
    But where was Peaseblossom?
    The goblin prisoner was brought into the audience chamber under guard. The whole effect was visually stunning, the goblin thought sourly. Exactly as a fairy court would look in a human child’s story book. Until you looked at the faces and realized that there was something not quite right about the eyes and the expressions of the beautiful creatures in the scene.
    The Queen consideredthe goblin for a while, resting her fine-boned chin on the fingers of one exquisitely thin hand. Her alabaster brow furrowed.
    ‘You, goblin, you call yourself Of the Dew the Sunlight, I believe. You and your kind have long enjoyed the protection of this court. Yet I hear talk of rebellion. A refusal to do my bidding. Before I hand you over to my guards for their . . . amusement, tell me why thisis.’
    Her melodious voice was rich with charm as the words were spoken, but the goblin seemed unmoved. He should have fallen to his knees and begged for her forgiveness, hypnotized by the power of the Queen’s glamour, but instead he stood his ground stockily and grinned at her. Grinned at the Queen!
    ‘Well, Queenie, it’s like this, you see. Goblins is now treated as upright citizens in human world.Humans say goblins useful. We likes being useful . We gets paid for being useful and finding out things and making things.’
    The Queen’s beautiful visage slipped and she glared at the cheeky creature in front of her.
    ‘That’s impossible,’ she shouted. ‘You goblins are the dregs, everyone knows that!’
    ‘Ah ha!’ laughed the goblin. ‘Queenie not so clever as she thinks. Goblins riding on hog’s backnow. Goblins know how to drive the iron horses.’
    There was a shiver in the court as the goblin uttered the word ‘iron’ and the magical glimmer dimmed. The Queen’s dress changed colour from silver gossamer to blood-red velvet and her blonde ringlets turned into straight, raven-black locks. Her courtiers followed suit as the pastel silks and lace made way for leather breeches, scarlet sashes andscraps of fur over woad-covered torsos. Elven stone knives were drawn and sharp teeth bared.
    The little goblin did not flinch.
    ‘I don’t believe you,’ said the Queen. ‘After all, you are just a goblin.’
    ‘Just a goblin, yess, your queeniness,’ he said quietly. ‘A goblin what understands iron and steel. Steel as goes round and round and chuffs. Takes people to faraway places. And a goblin whatis a citizen of Ankh-Morpork, and you know what that means, my lady. The dark one there gets upset when his citizens get killed.’
    ‘You are lying,’ said the Queen. ‘The Lord Vetinari would not care what happens to you . You goblins always lie, Of the Dew the Sunlight.’
    ‘Not my name any more. I am now Of the Lathe the Swarf,’ said the goblin proudly.
    ‘Swarf,’ said the Queen. ‘What is that?’
    ‘Itty bits of iron, they is, Queenie,’ said the goblin, his eyes hardening. ‘Of the Lathe the Swarf no liar. You talks to me like that again, your majisteriousness, I opens my pockets. Then we sees what swarf is!’
    The Queen drew back, her eyes fixed on the goblin’s hands hovering near the pockets of his dark blue jacket, wooden toggles fastening it over his skinny chest.
    ‘You dare threaten me?’she said. ‘Here in my own realm, you worm? When I could shrivel your heart within you with just a word? Or