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"I mean the man," said Viers

Colon peered under the hood "Oh, I know hiis, sir He's a capo de monty in the Thieves' Guild I know hier Used to work at the University"

"What, as a wizard?" said Vi and carpentry and that"

"Oh Did he?"

"Can't we do so for the poor man?" said Lady Ramkin

Nobby saluted smartly "I could kick him in the bollocks for you if you like,to shake uncontrollably, while Lady Rah-born lady who is determined not to show that she has understood what has just been said to her

"Put hiht with you, Lady Ramkin-"

"-Sybil-" corrected Lady Raood idea to get hie hions "

"Right you are, sir," said Sergeant Colon "The pizzas're getting cold, too You kno the cheese goes allhim, either," Vimes warned "Not even where it doesn't show Carrot, you coers volunteered

"And take Errol," added Viive him that"

"Marvellous, when you come to think about it," said Colon

Errol was trotting up and down in front of the ravaged building, whining

"Look at hiaze found itself drawn, as though by wires, up to the rolling clouds of fog

It's in there so to do now, sir?" said Carrot, as the carriage rattled off

"Not nervous, are you?" said Viged so in Vimes's mind

"No," he said, "you're not, are you? I suppose it's being brought up by the dwarfs that did it You've got no iination"

"I'm sure I try to doall your pay home to your ood boy"

"Yessir So what are we going to do, Captain Vimes?" Carrot repeated

Vimes looked around him He walked a few aimless, exasperated steps He spread his arms wide and then flopped them down by his sides

"How should I know?" he said "Warn people, I guess We'd better get over to the Patrician's palace And then-"

There were footsteps in the fog Vier to his lips and pulled Carrot into the shelter of a doorway

A figure looht Vi black robes and deep cowls There could be dozens of perfectly innocent reasons why this person is wearing long black robes and a deep cowl and standing in front of a melted-down house at dawn

Perhaps I should ask him to name just one

He stepped out

"Excusearound There was a hiss of indrawn breath

' 'I just wonder if you would ure had a good start It scuttled along the street and had reached the corner before Vimes was halfway there He skidded around it in time to see a shape vanish down an alley

Vi alone He panted to a halt and looked back just in tiently around the corner

"What's wrong?" he wheezed

"Sergeant Colon said I wasn't to run," said Carrot

Viuely Then slow comprehension dawned

"Oh," he said "I, er, see I don't think he"Not that we hadand these streets"

"Might have been just an innocent bystander, sir," said Carrot

"What, in Ankh-Morpork?"

"Yes, sir"

"We should have grabbed him, then, just for the rarity value," said Vimes

He patted Carrot on the shoulder "Co to the Patrician's palace"

"The King's palace," corrected Carrot

"What?" said Viht te's palace now," said Carrot Viave a short, ht," he conceded "Our dragon-killing king Well done thatto like this"

They didn't None of theuard

Vimes had never liked them They'd never liked him Okay, so maybe the rank were only one step away from petty scofflaws, but in Viuard these days were only one step away fro the worst criminal scum the city had ever produced A step further down They'd have to reform a bit before they could even be considered for inclusion in the Ten Most Unwanted list

They were rough They were tough They weren't the sweepings of the gutter, they hat you still found sticking to the gutter when the gutter sweepers had given up in exhaustion They had been extremely well-paid by the Patrician, and presumably were extremely well-paid by soates a couple of thehtened up while still ical slouch to cause maxi straight ahead "To see the king It's of the utmost importance"

"Yeah? Well, it'd have to be," said a guard "Captain Slimes, was it?"