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"Let's just run through this again, shall we?" said the De He leaned back in his

throne

"You just happened to find the Tezumen one day and decided, I think I recall your words correctly, that they were 'a bunch of Stone-Age no-hopers sitting around in a swaht? Whereupon you entered the h priests - I believe at the time they worshiped a small stick - drove him insane and inspired the tribes to unite, terrorise their neighbours and bring forth upon the continent a new nation dedicated to the proposition that all men should be taken to the top of cere pulled his notes towards him "Oh yes, some of them were also to be flayed alive," he added

Quezovercoatl shuffled his feet

"Whereupon," said the King, "they ied ith just about everyone else, bringing death and destruction to thousands of moderately bla has got to stop"

Quezovercoatl swayed back a bit

"It was only, you know, a hobby," said the i, sort of, thing Death and destruction and that"

"You did, did you?" said the king "Thousands of ht out of our hands," he snapped his fingers, "just like that Straight off to their happy hunting ground or whatever That's the trouble with you people You don't think of the Big Picture I inative, obsessive by now they could have invented a whole bureaucracy and taxation syste Instead of which, they're just a bunch of second-rate axe-murderers What a waste"

Quezovercoatl squir swiveled the throne back and forth a bit

"Noant you to go back down there and tell them you're sorry," he said

"Pardon?"

"Tell theed your mind Tell them that what you really wanted theht to improve the lot of their fellow men It'll be a winner"

"What?" said Quezovercoatl, looking extremely shifty "You want me to manifest myself?" "They've seen you already, haven't they? I saw the statue, it's ver lifelike" "Well, yes I've appeared in dreaht, then Get on with it"

Quezovercoatl was clearly unhappy about so "Er," he said "You want ? I mean, actually sort of turn up on the spot?"

"Yes!" "Oh"

The prisoner dusted himself down and extended a wrinkled hand to Rincewind "Many thanks Ponce da Quirm," he said "Pardon?" "It's my na Rincewind's eyes for any traces of

for the Fountain of Youth," da Quirm went on Rincewind looked him up and down

"Any luck?" he said politely

"Not significantly, no" Rincewind peered back down into the pit "You said we," ha said "Where's everyone else?" "They got religion" Rincewind looked up at the statue of Quezovercoatl I took no iine what kind "I think," he said carefully, "that we had better go" "Too true," said the old man "And quickly, too Before the Ruler of the World turns up" Rinceent cold It starts, he thought I kneas all going to turn out badly, and

this is where it starts I s "How do you know about that?" he said "Oh, they've got this prophecy, really, it's more the entire history of the world, start to

finish It's written all over this pyramid," said da Quirm, cheerfully "My word, I wouldn't like to be the Ruler when he arrives They've got plans"

Eric stood up

"Now just you listen toI'm your ruler, you know"

Rincewind stared at the blocks nearest the statue It had taken the Tezuranite to explain what they intended to do to the Ruler of the World, but the result ell, graphic He would be left in no doubt that they were annoyed He o so far as to deduce that they were quite vexed

"But why do they give hi

"Well, he is the Ruler," said da Quirm "He's entitled to some respect, I suppose"

Rincewind nodded There was a sort of justice in it If you were a tribe who lived in a swamp in the middle of a daod like Quezovercoatl, and then found soe of the whole affair, you probably would want to spend so to him how incredibly disappointed in him you were The Tezu with deities

It was a very good likeness of Eric

His eye followed the story on to the next wall

This block showed a very good likeness of Rincewind He had a parrot on his shoulder