Стража! Стража!

           Afteralotmorewhimperingandseveralfalsestartshemanagedtowinkletheendofitbetweenthewallandthebigjaroflampoil.

           Hepausedforamoment,breathinglikeabellows,andpushed.

           Thejarresistedforamoment,rockedbackandforthonceortwice,andthenfelloverandsmashedontheflagstones.Crude,verybadly-refinedoilspreadoutinablackpuddle.

           Errol’shugenostrilstwitched.Somewhereinthebackofhisbrainunfamiliarsynapsesclickedliketelegraphkeys.Greatbalksofinformationfloodeddownthethicknervecordtohisnose,carryinginexplicableinformationabouttriplebonds,alkanesandgeometricisomerism.However,almostallofitmissedthesmallpartofErrol’sbrainthatwasusedforbeingErrol.

           Allheknewwasthathewassuddenlyvery,verythirsty.

           Somethingmajorwashappeninginthepalace.Therewastheoccasionalcrashofafloororthumpofafallingceiling...

           Inhisrat-filleddungeon,behindadoorwithmorelocksthanamajorcanalnetwork,thePatricianofAnkh-Morporklaybackandgrinnedinthedarkness.

           Outside,bonfiresflaredinthedusk.

           Ankh-Morporkwascelebrating.No-onewasquitesurewhy,butthey’dworkedthemselvesupforacelebrationtonight,barrelshadbeenbroached,oxenhadbeenputonspits,onepaperhatandcelebratorymughadbeenissuedperchild,anditseemedashametowasteallthateffort.Anyway,ithadbeenaveryinterestingday,andthepeopleofAnkh-Morporksetgreatstorebyentertainment.