Стража! Стража!

           "ButGaskinwentandforgot,heranon,wentaroundthecornerand,well,thisblokehadacoupleofmateswaiting-"

           "Itwashisheartreally,"saidNobby.

           "Well.Anyway.Andtherehewas,"saidColon."CaptainVimeswasveryupsetaboutit.Youshouldn’trunfastintheWatch,lad,"hesaidsolemnly."Youcanbeafastguardoryoucanbeanoldguard,butyoucan’tbeafastoldguard.PooroldGaskin."

           "Itdidn’toughttobelikethat,"saidCarrot.

           Colontookapullatthebottle.

           "Well,itis,"hesaid.Rainbouncedonhishelmetandtrickleddownhisface.

           "Butitdidn’toughttobe,"saidCarrotflatly.

           "Butitis,"saidColon.

           Someoneelseinthecitywasalsoillatease.HewastheLibrarian.

           SergeantColonhadgivenhimabadge.TheLibrarianturneditroundandroundinhisbiggentlehands,nibblingatit.

           Itwasn’tthatthecitysuddenlyhadaking.Orangsaretraditionalists,andyoucouldn’tgetmoretraditionalthanaking.Buttheyalsolikedthingsneat,andthingsweren’tneat.Or,rather,theyweretooneat.Truthandrealitywereneverasneatasthis.Suddenheirstoancientthronesdidn’tgrowontrees,andheshouldknow.

           Besides,no-onewaslookingforhisbook.Thatwashumanprioritiesforyou.

           Thebookwasthekeytoit.Hewassureofthat.Well,therewasonewaytofindoutwhatwasinthebook.Itwasaperilousway,buttheLibrarianambledalongperilouswaysallday.