The Light Fantastic

'It's all yours,' he said, shutting the Luggage's lid. 'I shan't really need it any more, and it won't fit on my wardrobe anyway.'



'What?'



'Don't you want it?'



'Well, I – of course, but – it's yours. It follows you, not me.'



'Luggage,' said Twoflower, 'this is Rincewind. You're his, right?'



The Luggage slowly extended its legs, turned very deliberately and looked at Rincewind.



'I don't think it belongs to anyone but itself, really,' said Twoflower.



'Yes,' said Rincewind uncertainly.



'Well, that's about it, then,' said Twoflower. He held out his hand.



'Goodbye, Rincewind. I'll send you a postcard when I get home. Or something.'



'Yes. Any time you're passing, there's bound to be someone here who knows where I am.'



'Yes. Well. That's it, then.'



'That's it, right enough.'



'Right.'



'Yep.'



Twoflower walked up the gangplank, which the impatient crew hauled up behind him.



The rowing drum started its beat and the ship was propelled slowly out onto the turbid waters of the Ankh, now back to their old level, where it caught the tide and turned towards the open sea.



Rincewind watched it until it was a dot. Then he looked down at the Luggage. It stared back at him.



'Look,' he said. 'Go away. I'm giving you to yourself, do you understand?'



He turned his back on it and stalked away. After a few seconds he was aware of the little footsteps behind him. He spun around.



'I said I don't want you!' he snapped, and gave it a kick.



The Luggage sagged. Rincewind stalked away.



After he had gone a few yards he stopped and listened. There was no sound. When he turned the Luggage was where he had left it. It looked sort of huddled. Rincewind hought for a while.



'All right, then,' he said. 'Come on.'



He turned his back and strode off to the University. After a few minutes the Luggage appeared to make up its mind, extended its legs again and padded after him. It didn't see that it had a lot of choice.



They headed along the quay and into the city, two dots on a dwindling landscape which, as the perspective broadened, included a tiny ship starting out across a wide green sea that was but a part of a bright circling ocean on a cloud-swirled Disc on the back of four giant elephants that themselves stood on the shell of an enormous turtle.



Which soon became a glint among the stars, and disappeared.



The End