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"Worl," said the leader, "it's the dragon, innit?"

There was a chorus of reement

"Hwhat about it?" said Lady Ra the city They don't fly far You got dragons here Could be one of theht"

"QED "[15]

"So e're going to do is, we're going to put 'eht"

"Yeah"

"Pro bono publico "

Lady Ramkin's bosorabbed the dunging fork from its hook on the wall

"One step nearer, I warn you, and you'll be sorry," she said

The leader looked beyond her to the frantic dragons

"Yeah?" he said, nastily "And what'll you do, eh?"

Her mouth opened and shut once or twice "I shall summon the Watch!" she said at last

The threat did not have the effect she had expected Lady Ramkin had never paid much attention to those bits of the city that didn't have scales on

"Well, that's too bad," said the leader "That's really worrying, you know that? Makes o all weak at the knees, that does"

He extracted a lengthy cleaver from his belt ' 'And now you just stand aside, lady, because-"

A streak of green fire blasted out of the back of the shed, passed a foot over the heads of the mob, and burned a charred rosette in the ork over the door

Then came a voice that was a honeyed purr of sheer deadlyWinterforth IV, the hottest dragon in the city It could burn your head clean off "

Captain Vimes limped forward froolden dragon was clamped firmly under one arm His other hand held it by the tail

The rioters watched it, hypnotised

"Now I knohat you're thinking," Vi, after all this exciteh flame left? And, y'know, I ain't so surebetween the dragon's ears, and his voice buzzed like a knife blade:

"What you've got to ask yourself is: A lucky?"

They swayed backwards as he advanced

"Well?" he said "Are you feeling lucky?"

For a fewWinterforth IV's sto ominously as fuel sloshed into his flame chambers

"Now look, er," said the leader, his eyes fixed hypnotically on the dragon's head, "there's no call for anything like that-"

"In fact he ht just decide to flare off all by hias building up It builds up when they get nervous And, y'know, I reckon you've made them all pretty nervous now"

The leader esture, but unfortunately did it with the hand that was still holding a knife

"Drop it," said Vied on the flagstones There was a scuffle at the back of the crowd as a nu ay and knew nothing about it

"But before the rest of you good citizens disperse quietly and go about your business," said Vions Do any of thehty-foot wingspan? How hot do they flame, would you say?"

"Dunno," said the leader

Vihtly The leader rolled his eyes

"Dunno, sir," he corrected

"Do you want to find out?"

The leader shook his head But he did e to find his voice

"Who are you, anyway?" he said

Vimes drew himself up "Captain Vimes, City Watch," he said