Page 14 (1/2)

"Where to?"

"He doesn't say But ah, yes He wants us to fly directly towards the sun" Leonard gave theht s one or two individual dragons to flare for a few seconds, to bring us around, and then-"

"The sun," said Rincewind "It's hot; said Carrot "Yes, and I a a plan of the Kite "Ook!"

"I'm sorry?"

"He said "And this boat is made of wood!"" said Rincewind "All that in one syllable?"

"He's a very concise thinker! Look Stibbons ive me directions to the other side of a very s ht, too, if you're in this thing when it hits the sun," said Rincewind "Incandescent I expect"

"We can point the Kite if we're very careful hoe operate the port and starboard htfully "There may be a little trial and error"

"Ah, we see of it" said Leonard He turned over a sons for two minutes "

"I ssuppose he'll ttell uss ssoon hat happens nnext?" shouted Carrot, while behind thes tinkled and creaked "MMr Sstibbonss hhas ttwo ththousand yyears of uuniversity eexpertise bbehind hhim!" yelled Leonard, above the din "Hhowsships ith ddragons?" screaravity and looked at the eggtimer "Aabout one hhundred sseconds!"

"Ah! Iiit'ss ppractically aaa ttradition, tthenn!" Erratically, the dragons stopped flas filled the air And there was the sun But no longer circular Soe "Ah," said Leonard "How clever Gentle to hit the moon instead?" said Carrot, "is that better?"

"My feelings exactly" said Rincewind "Ook!"

"I don't think we're going so very fast," said Leonard "We're only just catching it up I think MrStibbons intends that we land on it" He flexed his fingers "There's some air there, I'm sure of it" he went on "Which ons And then, and this is very clever thinking, we ride on the moon until it rises over the Disc, and all we need to do is drop down lightly" He kicked the release on the wing levers The cabin raided to the spinning of the flywheels On either side, the Kite spread its wings "Any questions?" he said "I'," said Carrot "I've got to nine so far" said Rincewind "And I haven't started on the fine detail" The ht of the distant sun "As I understand it" said Leonard, as it began to loohter than the Disc, can only hold on to light things, like air Heavier things, like the Kite, should hardly be able to stay on the ground"

"And that means?" said Carrot "Erwe should just float down," said Leonard "But holding on to soood idea " They landed It's a short sentence, but contains a lot of incident There was silence on the boat, apart fro as he tried to adjust the omniscope "The screams" murmured Mustrum Ridcully, after a while "But then they screamed a second time, a few seconds later" said Lord Vetinari "And a few seconds after that? said the Dean "I thought the o the sweat pour off Ponder "The shards, er, don't seem stable when they're too far apart, sir," said Ponder "Uhand there's still a couple of thousand miles of world and elephant between theain

"A good wizard, Rincewind" said the Chair of Indefinite Studies "Not particularly bright, but, frankly, I've never been quite happy with intelligence An overrated talent, in my humble opinion" Ponder's ears went red "Perhaps we should put a small plaque up soarish, of course"

"Gentle?" said Lord Vetinari "Soon there will be no University"

"Ah Well, a s there, then"