There were small oblong

right, all right, two dollars each. That's ten dollars the lot, right?'
'Right.'
'And that's cutting my own throat.'
Chalky tossed the box aside. It bounced on the floor and the lid came off.
Some time later a small, greyish‑brown mongrel dog, on the prowl for anything edible, limped into the workshop and sat peering into the box for a while.
Then it felt a bit of an idiot and wandered off.
Ridcully hammered on the door of the High Energy Magic Building as the city clocks were striking two. He was supporting Ponder Stibbons, who was asleep on his feet.
Ridcully was not a quick thinker. But he always got there eventually.
The door opened and Skazz's hair appeared.
'Are you facin' me?' said Ridcully.
'Yes, Archchancellor.'
'Let us in, then, the dew's soaking through me boots.'
Ridcully looked around as he helped Ponder in.
'Wish I knew what it was that keeps you lads working all hours,' he said. 'I never found magic that interesting when I was a lad. Go and fetch some coffee for Mr Stibbons here, will you? And then get your friends.'
Skazz bustled off and Ridcully was left alone, except for the slumbering Ponder.
'What is it they do?' he said. He never really tried to find out.
Skazz had been working at a long bench by one wall.
At least he recognized the little woodenstones ranged on it in a couple of concentric circles, and a candle lantern positioned on a swivelling arm so that it could be moved anywhere around the circumference.
It was a travelling computer for druids, a sort