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bing, bing, a-bing, ding

Vimes didn't move

'Put it down Put it do, captain'

'I can wait out another bell,' said Vi

'Can't let you do that, captain It'd be

'You'll stopbing

Viua Doesn't thatbingbing

Carrot nodded

'Yes But personal isn't the sa his arm The face of Dr Cruces, mouth open in terror, pivoted on the tip of the barrelbingbingbingbingbing

'Captain Vie 177, captain It's never hadspirit of the gonne flowing up Viing the other way

'I should put it down, captain You don't need it,' said Carrot, like so to a child

Vi was muted now

'Put that do, Watchonne hit the floor Vi He blinked at Carrot

'Personal isn't the same as important?' he said

'Listen,' Cruces said, 'I'irl, that was an accident, but I only wanted-- There's evidence! There's a--'

Cruces was hardly paying any attention to the Watchmen He pulled a leather satchel off the table and waved it at them

'It's here! All of it, sire! Evidence! Edas stupid, he thought it was all crowns and cereht, it was as if--'

'I'm not interested,' !'

'It does not need murderers,' said Carrot

'But--'

And then Cruces dived for the gonne and scooped it up

One hts, and the next they were fleeing to far corners of his consciousness He was looking into the rinned at hionne re itself at Vi written down The whole thing Birth Even your sword It's the sword!'

'Really?' said Carrot 'May I see?'

Carrot lowered his sword and, to Vimes' horror, walked over to the desk and pulled the bundle of doculy, as if rewarding a good boy

Carrot read a page, and turned to the next one

'This is interesting,' he said

'Exactly But noepoliceman,' said Cruces

Vi the tube, to the little slug of metal that was soon to launch itself at him

'It's a shame,' said Cruces, 'if only you had--'

Carrot stepped in front of the gonne His arm moved in a blur There was hardly a sound

Pray you never face a good ht He'll kill you with hardly a word

Cruces looked down There was blood on his shirt He raised a hand to the sword hilt protruding from his chest, and looked back up into Carrot's eyes

'But why? You could have been--'

And he died The gonne fell from his hands, and fired at the floor

There was silence

Carrot grasped the hilt of his sword and pulled it back The body sluet his breath back

'Damnhishide,' he panted

'Sir?'

'Hehe called you sire,' he said 'What was in that--'

'You're late, captain,' said Carrot

'Late? Late? What do youcompany with reality

'You were supposed to have been married--' Carrot looked at the watch, then snapped it shut and handed it to Vio'

'Yes, yes But he called you sire, I heard him--'

'Just a trick of the echo, I expect, Mr Vih to Vi He'd run Cruces clean through But Cruces had been standing with his back to--

Viranite, and a foot thick There was no cracking There was just a blade-shaped hole, front to back

'Carrot--' he began

'And you look a et you cleaned up'

Carrot pulled the leather satchel towards hi it over his shoulder

'Carrot--'

'Sir?'

'I order you to give--'

'No, sir You can't order me Because you are now, sir, no offence meant, a civilian It's a new life'

'A civilian?'

Vi in his brain now – the gonne, the sewers, Carrot and the fact that he'd been operating on pure adrenalin, which soon presents its bill and does not give credit He sagged

'But this is my life Carrot! This is my job'

'A hot bath and a drink, sir That's what you need,' said Carrot 'Do you a world of good Let's go'

Vionne He went to pick it up, and stopped hi like this One burst froo and lie down

No wonder no-one had destroyed it You couldn't destroy so deep in the soul Hold it in your hand, and you had power More power than any bow or spear – they just stored up your own ave you power from outside You didn't use it, it used you Cruces had probably been a good h to Edward, and then he'd taken the gonne, and he'd belonged to it as well