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"In this wooden ship, which will be very, very high?"

"Well, in a technical sense, yes"

"Could we focus on that technicality?"

"Strictly speaking, there won't be any down As such, Eryou could say that you will be travelling so fast that you won't be in any one place long enough to fall down" Ponder sought a gli in Rincewind's face "Or, to put in another way, you'll be falling perround" Up above theons sizzled contentedly Wisps of steah the shadows "Oh," said Rincewind "You understand?" said Ponder "No I was just hoping that if I didn't say anything you'd stop trying to explain things toMr Stibbons?" said the Archchancellor, strolling up at the head of his wizards "How's our enor to plan sir We're at T minus five hours, sir"

"Really? Good We're at supper in ten minutes" Rincewind had a s rats Most of it that wasn't occupied by his bunk was occupied by his luggage The Luggage It was a box that walked around on hundreds of little legs It was ical, as far as he knew He'd had it for years It understood every word he said It obeyed about one in every hundred, unfortunately "There won't be any rooone up in the air you've got lost" The Luggage watched him in its eyeless way "So you stay with nice Mr Stibbons, all right? You've never been at ease around gods, either I shall be back very soon" Still the eyeless stare went on "Just don't look at me that ill you?" said Rincewind Lord Vetinari cast his eye over the threeas the word? "Men," he said, settling for one that was undoubtedly correct, "it falls to ratulate you on on " He hesitated Lord Vetinari was not a hted in the technical There were two cultures, as far as he was concerned One was the real one, the other was occupied by people who likedthe first people to leave the Disc with the resolute intention of returning to it," he went on "Yourmission is to land on or near Con Celesti, locate Cohen the Barbarian and his men, and by whatever means feasible stop this ridiculous sche Even barbarian heroes generally draw the line at blowing up the world" He sighed "They're usually not civilised enough for that," he added "Anywaywe ienerally sentimentalists Tell him about all the dear little puppies that will be killed, or so Beyond that, I can't advise you further I suspect classical force is out of the question If Cohen was easy to kill, people would have done it a long tio" Captain Carrot saluted "Force is always the last resort, sir," he said "I believe that for Cohen it's the first choice," said Lord Vetinari "He's not too bad if you don't come up behind him suddenly" said Rincewind "Ah, there is the voice of our mission specialist," said the Patrician "I just hope- What is that on your badge Captain Carrot?"

"Mission motto, sir," said Carrot cheerfully "Morituri Noluine he did" said Lord Vetinari observing the wizard coldly "And would you care to give us a colloquial translation, Mr Rincewind?"

"Er " Rincewind hesitated, but there really was no escape "Erroughly speaking, it means "We who are about to die don't want to", sir"

"Very clearly expressed I commend your deter in his ear "Ah, I'm informed that we have to leave you shortly," said Lord Vetinari "Mr Stibbons tellsin touch with you, at least until you're close to the mountain"

"Yes, sir," said Carrot The fractured o device Each part sees what the other parts sees Astonishing"

"Well, I trust your new careers will be uplifting if not, ahaha, entleraph, sir" said Ponder, hurrying forward and clutching a large box "To record theand so up Rincewindthank you" Ponder, like all bad photographers, took the shot just a fraction of a second after the smiles had frozen "And do you have any last words?"

"You o and co "Oh, yes Of course That's what Iback, won't you?" said Ponder, far too quickly in Rincewind's opinion "I have absolute confidence in Mr da Quirm's work, and I'm sure he has too"

"Oh, dear No, I never bother to have any confidence," said Leonard "You don't?"

"No, things just work You don't have to wish," said Leonard "And, of course, if we do fail, then things won't be that bad will they? If we fail to come back, there won't be anywhere left to fail to come back to in any case, will there? So it will all cancel out" He gave his happy little sreat comfort in times like this, I always find"