Стража! Стража!

           Thedragonshifteditspositionontheridgeofthenearesthouse,flappeditswingsonceortwice,yawned,andthenstretcheditsneckdownintothestreet.

           Themanblessedwithdaughtersstood,withhisfistupraised,inthecentreofarapidlyexpandingcircleofbarecobbles.Thelittlemanwriggledoutofhisfrozengraspanddartedintotheshadows.

           Itsuddenlyseemedthatnomanintheentireworldwassolonelyandwithoutfriends.

           "Isee,"hesaidquietly.Hescowledupattheinquisitivereptile.Infactitdidn’tseemparticularlybelligerent.Itwaslookingathimwithsomethingapproachinginterest.

           "Idon’tcare!"heshouted,hisvoiceechoingfromwalltowallinthesilence."Wedefyyou!Ifyoukillme,youmightaswellkillallofus!"

           Therewassomeuneasyshufflingoffeetamongstthosesectionsofthecrowdwhodidn’tfeelthatthiswasabsolutelyaxiomatic.

           "Wecanresistyou,youknow!"growledtheman."Can’twe,everyone.Whatwasthatsloganaboutbeingunited,Sergeant?"

           "Er,"saidColon,feelinghisspineturntoice.

           "Iwarnyou,dragon,thehumanspiritis-"

           Theyneverfoundoutwhatitwas,oratleastwhathethoughtitwas,althoughpossiblyinthedarkhoursofasleeplessnightsomeofthemmighthaverememberedthesubsequenteventsandformedaprettygoodandgut-churninginsight,towhit,thatoneofthethingssometimesforgottenaboutthehumanspiritisthatwhileitis,intherightconditions,nobleandbraveandwonderful,itisalso,whenyougetrightdowntoit,onlyhuman.