Стража! Стража!

           "Right.Fiftythousanddollars?Hecanstuffit."

           "Yeah."

           "Right.Cheapskate."

           "Let’sgoandhaveadrink."

           "Right."

           TheynoddedinrighteousagreementandstrodeofftowardstheMendedDrum,exceptfortheintellectual,whosidleduneasilybacktoVimes.

           "Whatsortofdog?"hesaid.

           "What?"saidVimes.

           "Isaid,whatsortofdog?"

           "Asmallwire-hairedterrier,Ithink,"saidVimes.

           Thehunterthoughtaboutthisforsometime.

           "Nah,"hesaideventually,andhurriedoffaftertheothers.

           "He’sgotanauntinPseudopolis,Ibelieve,"Vimescalledafterhim.

           Therewasnoresponse.ThecaptainoftheWatchshrugged,andcarriedonthroughthethrongtothePatrician’spalace...

           ...wherethePatricianwashavingadifficultlunch-time.

           "Gentlemen!"hesnapped."Ireallydon’tseewhatelsethereistodo!"

           Theassembledcivicleadersmutteredamongstthemselves.

           "Attimeslikethisit’straditionalthataherocomesforth,"saidthePresidentoftheGuildofAssassins."Adragonslayer.Whereishe,that’swhatIwanttoknow?Whyaren’tourschoolsturningoutyoungpeoplewiththekindofskillssocietyneeds?"

           "Fiftythousanddollarsdoesn’tsoundmuch,"saidtheChairmanoftheGuildofThieves.

           "Itmaynotbemuchtoyou,mydearsir,butitisallthecitycanafford,"saidthePatricianfirmly.

           "Ifitdoesn’taffordanymorethanthatIdon’tthinkthere’llbeacityforlong,"saidthethief.

           "Andwhatabouttrade?"saidtherepresentativeoftheGuildofMerchants.