Стража! Стража!

           "Wellsaid!"

           "Ifweallsaywewon’tputupwithit,whatcanthedragondo?"

           Nobbyopenedhismouth.Colonclampedahandoveritandraisedatriumphantfistintheair.

           "It’sjustwhatI’vealwayssaid,"hesaid."Thepeopleunitedcanneverbeignited!"

           Therewasaraggedcheer.

           "Hangonaminute,"saidasmallman,slowly."Asfarasweknow,thedragon’sonlygoodatonething.Itfliesaroundthecitysettingfiretopeople.I’mnotactuallycertainwhatisbeingproposedthatwouldstopitdoingthis."

           "Yes,butifweallprotest-"saidthefirstspeaker,hisvoicemodulatedwithuncertainty.

           "Itcan’tburneverybody,"saidColon.Hedecidedtoplayhisnewaceagainandadded,proudly,"Thepeopleunitedcanneverbeignited!"Therewasratherlessofacheerthistime.Peoplewerereservingtheirenergyforworrying.

           "I’mnotexactlysureIunderstandwhynot.Whycan’titburneveryoneandflyofftoanothercity?"

           "Because..."

           "Thehoard,"saidColon."Itneedspeopletobringittreasure."

           "Yeah."

           "Well,maybe,buthowmany,exactly?"

           "What?"

           "Howmanypeople?Outofthewholecity,Imean.Perhapsitwon’tneedtoburnthewholecitydown,justsomebits.Doweknowwhatbits?"

           "Look,thisisgettingsilly,"saidthefirstspeaker."Ifwegoaroundlookingattheproblemsthewholetime,we’llneverdoanything."

           "Itjustpaystothinkthingsthroughfirst,that’sallI’msaying.