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"It's all part of the socialsocial contract," said his assistant woodenly "A sree, for the safety and protection of the city"

"From what?" said Nobby "We've never had an enemy we couldn't bribe or corrupt"

"Until now," said Colon darkly

"You catch on fast," said the guard "So you're going to broadcast it On pain of pain"

Carrot peered over Colon's shoulder

"What's a virgin?" he said

"An unirl," said Colon quickly

"What, like my friend Reel?" said Carrot, horrified

"Well, no," said Colon

"She's not irls are married"

"Well, yes," said Colon

"Well, then," said Carrot, with an air of finality "We're not having any of that kind of thing, I hope"

"People won't stand for it," said Colon "You uards stepped back, out of range of Carrot's rising wrath

"They can please theuard "But if you don't proclais to His Majesty"

They hurried off

Nobby darted out into the street "Dragon on your vest!" he shouted "If your old oin' around with a dragon on your vest!"

Colon wandered back to the table and spread out the scroll

"Bad business," he mumbled

"It's already killed people," said Carrot "Contrary to sixteen separate Acts in Council"

"Well, yes But that was just like, you know, the hurly-burly of this and that," said Colon "Not that it wasn't bad, Iover so as if it's all proper and legal, that's much worse"

"I reckon it all depends on your point of view," said Nobby thoughtfully

"What d'you mean?"

"Well, fro burned alive, it probably doesn't matter much," said Nobby philosophically

"People won't stand for it, I said," said Colon, ignoring this "You'll see They'll on do then, eh?"

"Burn 'em all," said Nobby promptly

Colon looked puzzled "It wouldn't do that, would it?" he said

"Don't see what's to prevent it, do you?" said Nobby He glanced out of the doorway "He was a good lad, that boy Used to run errands for on on his chest "

"What are we going to do, Sergeant?" said Carrot

"I don't want to be burned alive," said Sergeant Colon "My wife'd give ot to wossna Carrot on one , as if he hadn't quite believed himself the first time, "it won't come to that People'll never stand for it"

Lady Ramkin ran her hands over Errol's body

"Da on in there," she said The little dragon tried to lick her face "What's he been eating?"

"The last thing, I think, was a kettle," said Vimes

"A kettle of what?"

"No A kettle A black thing with a handle and spout He sniffed it for ages, then he ate it"

Enrol grinned weakly at him, and belched They both ducked

"Oh, and then we found hi soot out of the chiain over the railings

They leaned back over the reinforced bunker that was one of Lady Ramkin's sickbay pens It had to be reinforced Usually one of the first things a sick dragon did was lose control of its digestive processes

"He doesn't look sick, exactly," she said "Just fat"

"He whines a lot And you can sort of see thingsunder his skin You knohat I think? You know you said they can rearrange their digestive system?"

"Oh, yes All the stomachs and pancreatic crackers can be hooked up in various ways, you see To take advantage-"

"Of whatever they can find toto e the big dragon Every ti"

"And doesn't explode?"

"Not that we've noticed I mean, I'm sure if he did, we'd spot it"

"He just eats indiscri, and eats allons of lamp oil, for example Anyway, I can't leave him down there We can't look after hion is now," he added bitterly

"I think you're being a bit silly about all this," she said, leading the way back to the house

"Silly? I was sacked in front of all those people!"

"Yes, but it was all a , I'm sure"

"I didn't misunderstand it!"

"Well, I think you're just upset because you're ied "Whee?" he said

"Against the dragon," Lady Ra about it"

"I reckon this daon just about deserve one another," said Vihtened You can't expect ingerly on his ar expertly ently