Стража! Стража!

           NotthatyoureallyneededabuckettopickuptheturbidwatersoftheriverAnkh-anetwasgoodenough.

           Downstream,teamsofsmoke-stainedpeopleworkedfeverishlytoclosethehuge,corrodedgatesundertheBrassBridge.TheywereAnkh-Morpork’slastdefenceagainstfire,sincethentheAnkhhadnooutletandgradually,oozingly,filledthespacebetweenthewalls.Amancouldsuffocateunderit.

           Theworkersonthebridgeweretheoneswhocouldn’torwouldn’trun.Manyotherswereteemingthroughthegatesofthecityandheadingoutacrossthechilly,mist-wreathedplains.

           Butnotforlong.Thedragon,loopingandcurvinggracefullyabovethedevastation,glidedoutoverthewalls.Afterafewsecondstheguardssawactinicfirestabdownthroughthemists.Thetideofhumanityflowedback,withthedragonhoveringoveritlikeasheepdog.Thefiresofthestrickencityglowedredlyofftheundersideofitswings.

           "Gotanysuggestionsaboutwhatwedonext,Sergeant?"saidNobby.

           Colondidn’treply.IwishCaptainVimeswerehere,hethought.Hewouldn’thaveknownwhattodoeither,buthe’sgotamuchbettervocabularytobebaffledin.

           Someofthefireswentoutastherisingwatersandtheconfusedtangleoffirechainsdidtheirwork.Thedragondidn’tappeartobeinclinedtostartanymore.Ithadmadeitspoint.

           "Iwonderwhoit’llbe,"saidNobby.

           "What?"saidCarrot.

           "Thesacrifice,Imean."

           "Sergeantsaidpeoplewouldn’tputupwithit,"saidCarrotstoically.

           "Yeah,well.