She lifted the chisel to get another glue fragment loose. Shock was prepared to simply ignore the other witch and just keep working, but the chisel slid and scratched the rafter as Aggie mentioned further investigation. The older witch [i]already[/i] got too close to her secret. And if Jack asked around, her story about hovering above the well wouldn't hold up when all anyone could confirm about her presence in the square was her smoking near the gate right before the fog started. And if there was nothing in her hands but a cigarette...

Shock didn't want to ponder much further, especially because if any monster [i]did[/i] actually recall seeing her flying, it wouldn't take much deduction from there to confirm how the rest of the trick was done.

"...Do you ever stop talking?" she asked, in a final attempt to keep Aggie from prying. "I already told you: I needed you three off my back so you wouldn't notice it missing so I could drop the fog juice. That's [i]it[/i]."

It was a gamble to try to get the older witch to drop it, to assume she didn't give a damn what any of them might find. But she was already pondering what it would take to keep the old bat quiet if it came to that.

"The only reason [i]to[/i] switch them back is Agnes would notice her broom wouldn't fly if I didn't."