Стража! Стража!

           "Sit!"bellowedLadyRamkin,inatonesoundisobeyablethatevenVimesfelthislegsinvoluntarilysag."Goodboy!IthinkImayhavealumpofcokesomewhere-"Shepattedherpockets.

           Eyecontact.Thatwastheimportantthing.Shereally,Vimesthought,shouldn’thavelookeddownevenforamoment.

           Thedragonraisedonetaloninaleisurelyfashionandpinnedhertotheground.

           AsVimeshalf-roseinhorrorErrolescapedfromhisgripandclearedthetroughinoneleap.Hebouncedacrosstheplazainaseriesofwing-whirringarcs,mouthgaping,emittingwheezingburps,tryingtoflame.

           Hewasansweredwithatongueofblue-whitefirethatmeltedastreakofbubblingrockseveralyardslongbutfailedtostrikethechallenger.Itwashardtopickhimoutoftheairbecause,quiteclearly,evenErroldidn’tknowwherehewasgoingtobe,orwhatwayuphewasgoingtobewhenhegotthere.Hisonlyhopeatthispointlayinmovement,andhevaultedandspunbetweentheincreasinglyfuriousburstsoffirelikeascaredbutdeterminedrandomparticle.

           Thegreatdragonrearedupwiththesoundofadozenanchorchainsbeingthrownintoacorner,andtriedtobatthetormenteroutoftheair.

           Vimes’slegsgaveinatthatpointanddecidedthattheymightallowthemselvestobeheroiclegsforawhile.Hescurriedacrosstheinterveningspace,swordatthereadyforwhatgooditmightdo,grabbedLadyRamkinbyanarmandahandfulofbedraggledballgown,andswungherontohisshoulder.