Стража! Стража!

           Afterall,absolutelyno-onewouldeverbelieve,whentheysawhimcomingdownthestreet,thatherewasamemberoftheWatchtryingtolookinconspicuous.

           ItoccurredtoVimesthatheknewabsolutelynothingaboutNobbsoutsideworkinghours.Hecouldn’tevenrememberwherethemanlived.Alltheseyearshe’dknownthemanandhe’dneverrealisedthat,inhissecretprivatelife,CorporalNobbswasabitofapeacock.Averyshortpeacock,itwastrue,apeacockthathadbeenhitrepeatedlywithsomethingheavy,perhaps,butapeacocknonetheless.Itjustwenttoshow,younevercouldtell.

           Hebroughthisattentionbacktothebusinessinhand.

           "Iwantyoutwo,"hesaidtoNobbsandColon,"tomingleunobtrusively,orobtrusivelyinyourcase,CorporalNobbs,withpeopletonightand,er,seeifyoucandetectanythingunusual."

           "Unusuallikewhat?"saidthesergeant.

           Vimeshesitated.Hewasn’texactlysurehimself."Anything,"hesaid,"pertinent."

           "Ah."Thesergeantnoddedwisely."Pertinent.Right."

           Therewasanawkwardsilence.

           "Maybepeoplehaveseenweirdthings,"saidCaptainVimes."Orperhapstherehavebeenunexplainedfires.Orfootprints.Youknow,"hefinished,desperately,"signsofdragons."

           "Youmean,like,pilesofgoldwhathavebeenslepton,"saidthesergeant.

           "Andvirginsbeingchainedtorocks,"saidNobbs,knowingly.

           "Icanseeyou’reexperts,"sighedVimes."Justdothebestyoucan."