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"Hadn't," he panted, "hadn't we better warn people?"

Colon dragged himself forward until he could look across the city

"I don't think we need bother," he said "I think they'll soon find out"

The High Priest of Blind Io was stu over his words There had never been an official coronation service in Ankh-Morpork, as far as he could find out The old kings had ot the crown, i'faith, and ill kill any whoreson who tries to takes it away, by the Lord Harry" Apart fro ti with the spirit of the ti it

He was also being put off by the goat, which atching him with loyal interest

"Get on with it!" Wonse hissed, froood tih priest hissed back "This is a coronation, I'll have you know You ht try to show a little respect"

"Of course I'et on-"

There was a shout, off to the right Wonse glared into the crowd

"It's that Ramkin woman," he said "What's she up to?"

People around her were chattering excitedly now Fingers pointed all the same way, like a small fallen forest There were one or two screams, and then the crowdthe wide Street of Small Gods

It wasn't a raven out there Not this tion flely, only a few feet above the ground, wings sculling gracefully through the air

The flags that crisscrossed the street were caught up and snapped like soup on the creature's spine plates and flapping back along the length of its tail

It fleith head and neck fully extended, as if the great body was being towed like a barge The people on the street yelled and fought one another for the safety of doorways It paid the, but the only sounds were the creaking of wings and the snapping of banners

It should have co terror ti

It should have coently to the acco

Vilared at the paperwork, such as there was of it There wasn't reallyreminded hiry yet He would be later on, of course By evening he'd be furious Drunk and furious But not yet Not yet It hadn't really sunk in, and he kneas just going through the

Errol stirred sluggishly in his box, raised his head and whined

"What's thedown "Upset sto as though heavy industry was being carried on inside Nothing in Diseases of the Dragon said anything about this From the swollen stomach came sounds like a distant and complicated war in an earthquake zone

That surely wasn't right Sybil Raon's diet, since even awith pathetic bits of scaly skin But in the past few dayswell, there had been cold pizzas, and the ash fro-ends, and all-in-all Errol had eaten , to judge by the room Not to mention the contents of the bottom drawer

"We really haven't looked after you very well, have we?" said Vi, really" He wondered what effect squeaky rubber hippos had on the digestion

Vi had turned to screauely at Errol, and then smiled an incredibly evil smile and stood up

There were sounds of panic and the mob on the run

He placed his battered hel a

Errol remained quite still for a while and then, with extreme difficulty, half-crawled and half-rolled out of his box Strangefroestive systes that he couldn't put a name to Fortunately it was able to describe them in minute detail to the complex receptors in his enor the air of the roo

He pulled hin of enjoyment, Carrot's tin of armour polish

People streamed past Vimes as he strolled up the Street of Small Gods Smoke rose into the air froon squatted in the middle of it, on what remained of the coronation dais It had a self-satisfied expression

There was no sign of the throne, or of its occupant, although it was possible that complicated forensic examination of the s ork ht hold of an ornamental fountain to steady himself as the crowds stagling bodies Not noisy ones, Vi their breath with screa any more There was just this solid, deadly deteron spread its wings and flapped them luxuriously The people at the rear of the crowd took this as a signal to climb up the backs of the people in front of them and run for safety from head to head

Within a few seconds the square was empty of all save the stupid and the ter a spirited crawl for the nearest exit

Vis, sooat which couldn't believe its luck He could distantly see Cut- to restore the contents of his tray

By Vi hesitantly and shouted "Hurrah"

Then everything went quiet

Vi home," he said

The child squinted up at him

"Are you a Watch man?" it said