Sourcery (Discworld, #5; Rincewind, #3)

by Terry Pratchett

The Archchancellor of Unseen University was the official leader of all the wizards on the Disc. Once upon a time it had meant that he would be the most powerful in the handling of magic, but times were a lot quieter now and, to be honest, senior wizards tended to look upon actual magic as a bit beneath them. They tended to prefer administration, which was safer and nearly as much fun, and also big dinners.

This is the dawning of a…a—” “New, um, dawn?” “Exactly. A time of miracles, a…a—” “Anus mirabilis?” Carding frowned. “Yes,” he said, eventually, “something like that, I expect. You have quite a way with words, you know.” “Thank you, brother.”

He didn’t administer a reign of terror, just the occasional light shower.

No one knows why smoking boots always remain, no matter how big the explosion. It seems to be just one of those things.

Sort of like, one free wizard with every concubine sold? Um.” “I don’t see what vegetables have got to do with it.”

Midnight strutted its black stuff along the corridors

Nijel drew his sword and held it out in front of him, his arms trembling at the effort. There were a few seconds of total silence as everyone waited to see what would happen next. And then Nijel uttered the battle cry that Rincewind would never quite forget to the end of his life. “Erm,” he said, “excuse me…”

The truth isn’t easily pinned to a page. In the bathtub of history the truth is harder to hold than the soap, and much more difficult to find…