Thief of Time - Refuse

'I want to know something.'

'Most people do,' said Mrs Ogg. 'And they can go on wantin'.'

'I want to know about... a birth,' said Susan, persevering.

'Oh, yes? Well, I done hundreds of confinements. Thousands, prob'ly.'

'I imagine this one was difficult.'

'A lot of them are,' said Mrs Ogg.

'You'd remember this one. I don't know how it started, but I'd imagine that a stranger came knocking.'

'Oh?' Mrs Ogg's face became a wall. The black eyes stared out at Susan as if she was an invading army.

'You're not helping me, Mrs Ogg.'

'That's right. I ain't,' said Mrs Ogg. 'I think I know about you, miss, but I don't care who you are, you see. You can go and get the other one, if you like. Don't think I ain't seen him, neither. I've been at plenty of deathbeds, too. But deathbeds is public, mostly, and birthbeds ain't. Not if the lady don't want them to be. So you get the other one, and I'll spit in his eye.'

'This is very important, Mrs Ogg.’

'You're right there,' said Mrs Ogg firmly.

***

The Thief of Time - p192-193