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Vi, cadaverous face of Cut- that could be sold hurriedly frouaranteed to have fallen off the back of an oxcart

"Morning, Throat," said Vi?"

"Genuine article, Captain" Throat leaned closer He was the sort of person who could " sound like a once-in-a-lifetime, never-to-be-repeated offer His eyes swivelled back and forth in their sockets, like two rodents trying to find a way out "Can't afford to be without it," he hissed "Anti-dragon creaet your ," said Vi correctly, is that if I aon you'll return the money?"

"Upon personal application," said Cut-reen ointment and thrust it under Vimes's nose "Made from over fifty different rare spices and herbs to a recipe known only to a bunch of ancient monks what live on so my own throat It's a public service, really," he added piously

"You've got to hand it to those ancientit up so quickly," said Vireed Cut-urt"

"So what's happening, Throat?" said Vi swords?"

"Dragon hunters, Cap'n The Patrician announced a reward of fifty thousand dollars to anyone who brings hion, either; he's no fool, that man"

"What?"

"That's what he said It's all written on posters"

"Fifty thousand dollars!"

"Not chicken feed, eh?"

"More like dragon fodder," said Vi trouble, youa sword and joining in"

"I'ht call the service sector, Cap'n" Throat looked both ways conspiratorially, and then passed Vimes a slip of parchon mirror shields A 500

Portable lair detectors A250

Dragon-piercing arrows A100 per each

Shovels A5 Picks A5 Sacks Al

Vimes handed it back "Why the sacks?" he said

"On account of the hoard," said Throat

"Oh, yes," said Viloomily "Of course"

"Tell you what," said Throat, "tell you what For our boys in brown, ten percent off"

"And you're cutting your own throat, Throat?"

"Fifteen percent for officers!" urged Throat, as Viht panic in his voice was soon apparent He had plenty of competition

The people of Ankh-Morpork were not by nature heroic but were, by nature, salesht any nuical weapons Genuine certyfycate of orthenticity with everyone, a cloak of invisibility-a good touch, he thought, and he was really i a hter relief, dragon biscuits, balloons and wind relief froht

There seemed to be as many sacks and shovels about as there were swords

Gold, that was it The hoard Hah!

Fifty thousand dollars! An officer of the Watch earned thirty dollars a month and had to pay to have his own dents beaten out

What he couldn't do with fifty thousand dollars

Viht of the things he could do with fifty thousand dollars There were so many more of theroup of men clustered around a poster nailed to the wall It declared, indeed, that the head of the dragon that had terrorised the city would be worth A50,000 to the brave hero that delivered it to the palace

One of the cluster, who fro the lettering with his finger Vi for the others

"-to ter-her pal-ack-ee," he concluded

"Fifty thousand," said one of the his chin

"Cheap job," said the intellectual "Well below the rate Should be half the kingdoe"

"Yes, but he ain't a king He's a Patrician"

"Well, half his Patrihter like?"

The assembled hunters didn't know

"He's not hter"

They turned and looked him up and down He could see the disdain in their eyes They probably got through dozens like hihter?'' said one of thehter?"

Viht to support the lord of the city "He's got a little dog that he's very fond of," he said helpfully

"Bleeding disgusting, not even having a daughter," said one of the hunters "And what's fifty thousand dollars these days? You spend that ht," said another "People think it's a fortune, but they don't reckon on, well, it's not pensionable, there's all the ear-"