It ain`t over until the fat lady screams

A cookery book of risque recipes by A Lancre Witch is a best seller. Mr Goatberger of Goatberger Publishers calls in Mr Cripslock about an amendment needed and declares that they will need more engravers.

Mr Goatberger has sometimes been associated with Discworld stamps. Amongst them are the postage dues, as shown by this proof sheet for two of the values.

Goatberger`s son Ronald was behind the engravedprints of the Places of Interest stamps fromthe Merchants Guild

Mr Cripslock is also a name associated with stamps. He is clearly happy to be credited with the engraving of the Penny Prayer stamps that were available to Journal subscribers

The Engravers Guild one penny
issued in the Year of the Pensive Hare

With Magrat now a Queen, Granny and Nanny need a third witch for their coven, not that they have a coven, but a third witch would be a stabilising influence. They reckon Agnes Nitt was most suitable of the younger generation.
But Agnes Nitt has had enough of witching and moves to Ankh-Morpork. The Opera House is auditioning and Agnes can really sing; Dr Undershaft, the choirmaster, is impressed by her range and timbre, plus she has the figure of an opera leading lady. She is signed up as Perdita X Nitt. Christine, another newcomer, also passes thanks to Mr Salzella, the musical director, because of her being blonde and slim and not for her thin reedy singing voice. Salzella has a plan; Christine will take the lead roles and mime, while Agnes in the chorus handles all her vocal parts. The Opera House has recently been bought by Seldom Bucket of cheese manufacturing fame. He is just realising that opera is a money pit. Agnes makes friends with Walter Plinge, a very odd-job man. Walter always does as he is told and seems to be on a different planet. There is also a Ghost in the Opera House, on which anything unusual gets blamed, though some claim to have seen him.
The Opera House $5 blue triangle

Nanny receives a letter from Goatbergers refunding the $2 she paid to have the cookbook published plus another $3. Granny Weatherwax reckons Nanny is owed a whole lot more, and they set off to the city by coach. They share this with Enrico Basilica of Brindisi, the rotund tenor will will be starring in the next opera production. They soon discover that Basilica is in fact Henry Slugg, born and bred in The Shades. He presents them with a pair of tickets to the opening night
When they get to the city they stay at Mrs Palm`s rooms. Nanny is surprised at Granny`s choice, and even more that they are old friends. They pay visits to Goatbergers and despite him trying to hide the accounts, Granny manage to get 40% royalties off him for Nanny; a total of $3,270 and 87 pence.

Mrs Parker, wife of the grand master of the Guild of Merchants visits the opera. This cover, only available though the trading scheme, is one of just two which include the AM Post Paid stamp.
The Opera House below

Back at the Opera House the ghost is stepping up operations. At night he is trying to communicate with Christine, forcing her to swap rooms with Agnes, and Bucket is receiving letters in an ornate cursive script ending with hahahhahah !!!!!. Then the body of Mr Pounder, the theatre`s ratcatcher is found. The ghost was seen. They know its a ghost because he wears a mask. Next Dr Undershaft goes missing and many of the orchestra`s instruments are broken beyond repair. Andre the pianist has help from The Librarian to repair the organ - he likes it but it does not compare the B.S.Johnson designed Great Organ at the University. They manage to rally together to put on the first night of La Triviata, the plot of which is convoluted enough to confuse the audience, but thats opera. It is interrupted though by the body of a strangled Dr Undershaft crashing onto the stage. That night Agnes hears the ghost singing beautifully and he leaves Christine, as the lead, what appears to be dead rose stems, but they flower luminous in the dark.

The 2 pence stamp from the                           The $3 B.S. Johnson stamp from the Great Inventors issue      The second penny farthing stamp from
Guild of Ratcatchers minisheet                                   from the Year of the Complicated Monkey            the Unseen University shows B.S.Johnsons                                                                                                                                                                Great Organ being played by the Librarian

Agnes discovers that the mirror in Christine`s old bedroom conceals a secret passage. One way leads to the roof, and the other to the cellars. She suspects Walter of being the Ghost. His work takes him everywhere, and he is one of those people that no-one notices - hidden in full sight, despite his rather erratic gait. Down in the cellars Agnes is confronted by the Ghost in his mask, but footsteps approach and he disappears. Walter appears, now doing some rat catching and getting a halfpenny each at Gimlets Deli. Though the Ghost and Walter were not in sight at the same time, could he have had time to change from ghost to Walter? Agnes still suspects him.

Advertising label for Gimlet`s Yo Rat! fast food. These were included
on sheets of the two pence Merchants Guild stamps issue in the
Year of the Reciprocating Llama. Gimlet specialises in Dwarf
cuisine focussing on rat.

Granny wants to find out why Box 8 at the theatre is never sold for a performance. It is said to be reserved for the ghost. The witches go shopping for posh frocks and so on with Granny spending much of Nanny`s fortune. She appears at the Opera House to see Mr Bucket as Lady Esmerelda Weatherwax, hinting she will donate some money in return for seats in Box 8. At the next performance she and Nanny and Greebo, again in human form, wait for the Ghost. He lets himself in with a key and is challenged. The Ghost leaps through the curtains chased by Greebo. There is much balcony climbing and chandelier swinging. The Ghost is caught backstage and revealed to be Walter, but Granny knows that the full truth has not yet been revealed.

Greebo dons the mask and leads the chasers away and onto the Brass Bridge. Here he is caught by the mob, just as he reverts to being a cat, just leaving an empty suit of clothes. Nanny takes Walter down to the cellars where Walter spends his nights. He has been composing down there, with piles of songs and plots on scraps of paper. Nanny recognizes loads of big hits there. In another room there are sacks and sacks of money. Granny and Agnes go to Bucket`s office to view the money ledgers and find some big irregularities. Andre sneaks in, and they surprise him. But reveals that he is a Cable Street Peculiar placed there as an undercover policeman by Vimes because he is a Musicians Guild member.

Cable Street was another possibility for a Wincanton Street name and so this was included on the Street Names sheet.

The Musicians Guild
one pence stamp
issued during the Year
of the Sneezing Panda.

Salzella appears in his own ghost mask. He has been imitating Walter as the ghost. Walter knew, but was told and believed that his poor old mum would lose her job at the theatre if he told anybody. Walter, back in his mask for confidence, challenges Salzella to a sword fight. Salzella accepts and while they fight he pours out his frustrations with opera. The music is all, but the plots are ridiculous, the acting terrible, and its all totally unbelievable. To prove his point he dies with Walter`s sword between his arm and body. With the missing money found the Opera house can function properly. Nanny produces Walter`s scores and convinces Bucket that he takes on Walter as musical director overseeing his own works. Agnes is most certain that nothing Granny can say will get her back to being a witch.

The qualities of opera have reached the notice of Nuggan,
reflected in this postal label from the Borogravian
three penny stamp sheet

Soon after Granny and Nanny return to the Ramtops Agnes appears. Just for a while she says, but she has no firm plans about her return to the opera. Granny won`t teach her any witching while she is around, but she might learn a few things.