Стража! Стража!

           Strictlyspeaking,hecouldgoanywhereinthecity,buttheUniversityhadalwaysheldthatitfellunderthaumaturgicallawandhefeltitwouldn’tbewisetomakethekindofenemieswhereyouwereluckytoendupthesametemperature,letalonethesameshape.

           HefoundtheLibrarianhunchedoverhisdesk.Theapegavehimanexpectantlook.

           "Haven’tfoundityet.Sorry,"saidVimes."Enquiriesarecontinuing.Butthereisalittlehelpyoucangiveme."

           "Oook?"

           "Well,thisisamagicallibrary,right?Imean,thesebooksaresortofintelligent,isn’tthatso?SoI’vebeenthinking:IbetifIgotinhereatnight,they’dsoonkickupafuss.Becausetheydon’tknowme.Butiftheydidknowme,they’dprobablynotmind.Sowhoevertookthebookwouldhavetobeawizard,wouldn’tthey?OrsomeonewhoworksfortheUniversity,atanyrate."

           TheLibrarianglancedfromsidetoside,thengraspedVimes’shandandledhimintotheseclusionofacoupleofbookshelves.Onlythendidhenodhishead.

           "Someonetheyknow?"

           Ashrug,andthenanothernod.

           "That’swhyyoutoldus,isit?"

           "Oook."

           "AndnottheUniversityCouncil?"

           "Oook."

           "Anyideawhoitis?"

           TheLibrarianshrugged,adecidedlyexpressivegestureforabodywhichwasbasicallyasackbetweenapairofshoulderblades.

           "Well,it’ssomething.Letmeknowifanyotherstrangethingshappen,won’tyou?"Vimeslookedupatthebanksofshelves."Strangerthanusual,Imean."

           "Oook."

           "Thankyou.