Стража! Стража!

           Heshambledquicklyalongasidepassage,turnedthecornerand,withonlytheslightesttwingeofdisorientation,shuffledintothatsetofdimensionsthatpeople,becausetheydon’tknowanybetter,thinkofasnormal.

           Hejustfeltextremelyhotandhisfurstoodstraightoutfromhisbodyastemporalenergygraduallydischarged.

           Hewasinthedark.

           Heextendedonearmandexploredthespinesofthebooksbyhisside.Ah.Nowheknewwherehewas.

           Hewashome.

           Hewashomeaweekago.

           Itwasessentialthathedidn’tleavefootprints.Butthatwasn’taproblem.Heshinnedupthesideofthenearestbookcaseand,underthestarlightofthedome,hurriedonwards.

           LupineWonseglaredup,red-eyed,fromtheheapofpaperworkonhisdesk.No-oneinthecityknewanythingaboutcoronations.He’dhadtomakeitupashewentalong.Thereshouldbeplentyofthingstowave,heknewthat.

           "Yes?"hesaid,abruptly.

           "Er,there’saCaptainVimestoseeyou,"saidtheflunkey.

           "VimesoftheWatch?"

           "Yes,sir.Saysit’softheupmostimportance."

           Wonselookeddownhislistofotherthingsthatwerealsooftheutmostimportance.Crowningtheking,foronething.Thehighpriestsoffifty-threereligionswereallclaimingthehonour.Itwasgoingtobeascrum.Andthentherewerethecrownjewels.

           Orrather,thereweren’tthecrownjewels.Somewhereintheprecedinggenerationsthecrownjewelshaddisappeared.AjewellerintheStreetofCunningArtificerswasdoingthebesthecouldinthetimewithgiltandglass.

           Vimescouldwait.