Стража! Стража!

           "Iexpectyou’dbereallyinterestedinfindingoutwherethathoardis,wouldn’tyou?"saidVimesexperimentally.

           Nobbylookedevenmoreshiftythanusual."Well,Cap’n,Iwasthinkingofhavingabitofalookaround.Youknow.WhenI’moffduty,ofcourse,"headdedvirtuously.

           "Oh,dear,"saidCaptainVimes.

           Helifteduptheemptybottleand,withgreatcare,putitbackinthedrawer.

           TheElucidatedBrethrenwerenervous.Akindoffearcrackledfrombrothertobrother.Itwasthefearofsomeonewho,havingcheerfullyexperimentedwithpouringthepowderandwaddingtheball,hasfoundthatpullingthetriggerhadledtoagodawfulbangandprettysoonsomeoneisboundtocomeandseewho’smakingallthenoise.

           TheSupremeGrandMasterknewthathehadthem,though.Sheepandlamb,sheepandlamb.Sincetheycouldn’tdoanythingmuchworsethantheyhadalreadydonetheymightaswellpressonanddamntheworld,andpretendthey’dwanteditlikethisallalong.Oh,thejoyofit...

           OnlyBrotherPlastererwasactuallyhappy.

           "Letthatbealessontoalloppressivevegetablesellers,"hekeptsaying.

           "Yes,er,"saidBrotherDoorkeeper."Only,thethingis,there’snochanceofussortofaccidentallysummoningthedragonhere,isthere?"

           "I-thatis,we-haveitunderperfectcontrol,"saidtheSupremeGrandMastersmoothly."Thepowerisours.Icanassureyou."

           TheBrotherscheeredupalittlebit.

           "Andnow,"theSupremeGrandMastercontinued,"thereisthematteroftheking."