Стража! Стража!

           "Buthesaidwe’vegottokeepourearsopen,"hesaid."We’resupposedto,whathesaid,detectanything."

           "Wecandothatatmyhouse,"saidSgtColon."Wecouldlistenallnight,reallyhard."

           "Tha’sagoodpoint,"saidNobby.Infact,itsoundedbetterandbetterthemorehethoughtaboutit.

           "Butfirst,"heannounced,"Igottopayavisit."

           "Metoo,"saidthesergeant."Thisdetectingbusinessgetstoyouafterawhile,doesn’tit."

           Theystumbledoutintothealleybehindthetavern.Therewasafullmoonup,butafewragsofscruffycloudweredriftingacrossit.Thepairinconspicuouslybumpedintooneanotherinthedarkness.

           "Isthatyou,DetectorSergeantColon?"saidNobby.

           "Tha’sright!Now,canyoudetectthedoortotheprivy,DetectorCorporalNobbs?We’relookingforashort,darkdoorofmeanappearance,ahahaha."

           TherewereacoupleofclanksandamuffledswearwordfromNobbyashestaggeredacrossthealley,followedbyayowlwhenoneofAnkh-Morpork’senormouspopulationofferalcatsfledbetweenhislegs.

           "Wholovesyou,pussycat?"saidNobbyunderhisbreath.

           "Needsmust,then,"saidSgtColon,andfacedahandycorner.

           Hisprivatemusingswereinterruptedbyagruntfromthecorporal.

           "Youthere,Sgt?"

           "DetectorSergeanttoyou,Nobby,"saidSgtColonpleasantly.

           Nobby’stonewasurgentandsuddenlyverysober."Don’tpissabout,Sergeant,Ijustsawadragonflyover!"

           "I’veseenahorsefly,"saidSgtColon,hiccupinggently."AndI’veseenahousefly.