Стража! Стража!

           Vimespulledhisscrapofblanketoverhim.

           Therewasasqueak.Hefishedaroundbesidethedragon’sshiveringbody,pulledoutasmallrubberhippo,staredatitinsurpriseandthengaveitoneortwoexperimentalsqueezes.

           "Ithoughtitwouldbesomethingforhimtoplaywith,"saidCarrot,slightlyshamefaced.

           "Youboughthimalittletoy?"

           "Yes,sir."

           "Whatakindthought."

           VimeshopedCarrothadn’tnoticedthefluffyballtuckedintothebackofthebox.Ithadbeenquiteexpensive.

           Heleftthetwoofthemandsteppedintotheoutsideworld.

           Therewasevenmorebuntingnow.Peoplewerebeginningtolinethemainstreets,eventhoughtherewerehourstowait.Itwasstillverydepressing.

           Hefeltanappetiteforonce,onethatit’dtakemorethanadrinkortwotosatisfy.HestrolledalongforbreakfastatHarga’sHouseofRibs,thehabitofyears,andgotanotherunpleasantsurprise.NormallytheonlydecorationintherewasonShamHarga’svestandthefoodwasgoodsolidstuffforacoldmorning,allcaloriesandfatandproteinandmaybeavitamincryingsoftlybecauseitwasallalone.Nowlaboriously-madepaperstreamerscriss-crossedtheroomandhewasconfrontedwithacrayonnedmenuinwhichthewords"Coronasion"and"Royall"figuredsomewhereoneverycrookedline.

           Vimespointedwearilyatthetopofthemenu.

           "What’sthis?"hesaid.

           Hargapeeredatit.Theywerealoneinthegrease-walledcafe.

           "Itsays’ByeRoyarlAppointmente’,Captain,"hesaidproudly.