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"Have you been to the Hub?"

"Eryes?"

"Can you describe the terrain?"

"Er "

"What did the scenery look like?" Lord Vetinari added helpfully "Erblurred, sir I was being chased by some people"

"Indeed? And as this?" Rincewind looked shocked "Oh I never stop to find out why people are chasing me, sir I never look behind, either That'd be rather silly, sir" Lord Vetinari pinched the bridge of his nose, "Just tell me what you know about Cohen, please," he said wearily "Him? He's just a hero who never died, sir A leathery oldand guile you'd never know it"

"Are you a friend of his?"

"Well, we've met a couple of times and he didn't kill me," said Rincewind "That probably counts as a "yes""

"And what about the old men who're with him?"

"Oh, they're not old menwell, yes, they are old menbut, well they're his Silver Horde, sir"

"Those are the Silver Horde? All of it?"

"Yes, sir," said Rincewind "But I thought the Silver Horde conquered the entire Agatean Empire!"

"Yes, sir That was them" Rincewind shook his head "I know it's hard to believe, sir But you haven't seen the thing about Cohen ishe's contagious"

"You ue carrier?"

"It's like a ic He's as crazy as a stoat, but once they've been around hi the world the way he does All big and simple And they want to be part of it" Lord Vetinari looked at his fingernails "But I understood that those men had settled down and were immensely rich and powerful," he said "That's what heroes want, isn't it? To crush the thrones of the world beneath their sandalled feet, as the poet puts it?"

"Yes sir" :So what's this? One last throw of the dice? Why?""

"I can't understand it, sir I meanthey had it all"

"Clearly," said the Patrician "But everything wasn't enough, was it?" There was argu Office Every few h a side door and laid another pile of papers on the desk

Lord Vetinari stared at the to do would be to wait until the pile of international advice and derew as tall as Cori Celesti, and siht So, as a ot up and went He unlocked a secret door in the panelling and a h the hidden corridors of his palace The dungeons of the palace held a number of felons imprisoned "at his lordship's pleasure", and since Lord Vetinari was seldo haul His destination now, though, was the strangest prisoner of all, who lived in the attic Leonard of Quirarded his fellow Man with benign interest He was an artist and he was also the cleverest man alive, if you used the word "clever" in a specialised and technical sense But Lord Vetinari felt that the world was not yet ready for a ned unthinkable weapons of war as a happy hobby Thehe did, an artist Currently, Leonard was painting a picture of a lady, from a series of sketches he had pinned up by his easel "Ah,up "And what is the problem?"

"Is there a probleenerally is, my lord, when you come to see et several people to the centre of the world as soon as possible"

"Ah, yes," said Leonard "There is much treacherous terrain between here and there Do you think I have the sood at smiles"

"I said-"

"Do you wish them to arrive alive?"

"What? Ohyes Of course And fast" Leonard painted on, in silence Lord Vetinari knew better than to interrupt "And do you wish them to return?" said the artist, after a while "You know, perhaps I should show the teeth I believe I understand teeth"

"Returning them would be a pleasant bonus, yes"

"This is a vital journey?"

"If it is not successful, the world will end"

"Ah Quite vital, then" Leonard laid down his brush and stood back, looking critically at his picture "I shall require the use of several sailing ships and a large barge," he said, after a while "And I will make a list of other e?"

"To begin with, my lord"

"Are you sure you don't want farther time to think?" said Lord Vetinari "Oh, to sort out the fine detail, yes But I believe I already have the essential idea" Vetinari looked up at the ceiling of the workrooed devices and other aerial extravaganzas that hung there, turning gently in the breeze "This doesn't involve so machine, does it?" he said suspiciously "Urnwhy do you ask?"