What is it you want?
Nothing, she said, half laughing.
There is no creature under the sky that does not want, I told
her severely.
Only what I've got, then, she said.
That's lucky.
And time to thing about I want next.
I nodded judiciously.
And time just to think.
There's plenty of that up here, I remarked.
Shestared around the cave. There must
be all the time in the world here, she said wonderingly.
My heart beginning to thud.
And time not to think,
I need that too, she added.
I had one more question. What do you love?
She took a deep breath, as if her list was long, then she
let it out in a sigh. Eveything, she said.
Everything? My voice was a squeaking bat. How can you love
everything before you know anything, you idiotic girl?
I don't know, she
said seriously. It seems to leak out of me. it's like a cup spilling over. She turned to look into my eyes;
they narrowed against her. How can you not? she asked.
What?
You're wise. You're the Witch. How can you look at everything
and know everything without love?
(From Emma Donoghue's Kissing The Witch)
