"Whatever it is," she said at last, "it's overdone. They can never keep it
up, you know."
"Much you know," said the Waters. "Over you go, old man. You can take the
full head of us now. Those new steel axle-straps of yours can stand
anything. Come along, Raven's Gill, Harpenden, Callton Rise, Batten's
Ponds, Witches' Spring, all together! Let's show these gentlemen how to
work!"
"But--but--I thought it was a decoration. Why--why--why--it only means
more work for _me_!"
"Exactly. You're to supply about sixty eight-candle lights when required.
But they won't be all in use at once----"
"Ah! I thought as much," said the Cat. "The reaction is bound to come."
"_And_" said the Waters, "you will do the ordinary work of the mill as
well."
"Impossible!" the old Wheel quivered as it drove. "Aluric never did it--
nor Azor, nor Reinbert. Not even William de Warrenne or the Papal Legate.
There's no precedent for it. I tell you there's no precedent for working a
wheel like this."
"Wait a while! We're making one as fast as we can. Aluric and Co. are
dead. So's the Papal Legate. You've no notion how dead they are, but we're
here--the Waters of Five Separate Systems. We're just as interesting as
Domesday Book. Would you like to hear about the land-tenure in Trott's
Wood? It's squat-right, chiefly." The mocking Waters leaped one over the
other, chuckling and chattering profanely.
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