Стража! Стража!

           Youhaven’tgotanyvaluablecarpets,haveyou?It’sbestnottoletthemlickyourface,buttheycanbetrainedtocontroltheirflame.They’reveryhelpfulforlightingfires."

           GoodboyBindleFeatherstonecurledupamidstabarrageofplumbingnoises.

           They’vegoteightstomachs,Vimesremembered;thedrawingsinthebookhadbeenverydetailed.Andthere’slotsofotherstufflikefractional-distillationtubesandmadalchemysetsinthere.

           Noswampdragoncouldeverterroriseakingdom,exceptbyaccident.Vimeswonderedhowmanyhadbeenkilledbyenterprisingheroes.Itwasterriblycrueltodosomethinglikethattocreatureswhoseonlycrimewastoblowthemselvesabsent-mindedlytopiecesinmid-air,whichwasnotsomethinganyindividualdragonmadeahabitof.Itmadehimquiteangrytothinkaboutit.Araceof,ofwhittles,that’swhatdragonswere.Borntolose.Livefast,diewide.Omnivoresornot,whattheymustreallyliveonwastheirnerves,flappingapologeticallythroughtheworldinmortalfearoftheirowndigestivesystem.Thefamilywouldbejustgettingoverfather’sexplosion,andsometwerpinasuitofarmourwouldcomeploddingintotheswamptostickaswordintoabagofgutsthatwasonlyonestepawayfromself-destructioninanycase.

           Huh.It’dbeinterestingtoseehowthegreatdragonslayersofthepaststooduptothebigdragon.Armour?Bestnottowearit.It’dallbethesameinanycase,andatleastyourasheswouldn’tcomeprepackagedintheirownfoil.