Стража! Стража!

           "She’sgottobethehighest-bornladyinthecity.Idon’tknowaboutmaiden,"headded,"andrightatthisminuteI’mnotgoingtospeculate.Someonegoandfetchacart."

           Hefingeredhisear,whichhadbeennickedbythetipofthesword.Hewasnot,bynature,anunkindman,butatthismomenthewascertainthathewouldpreferthethicknessofadragon’shidebetweenhimselfandSybilRamkinwhenshewokeup.

           "Weren’twesupposedtokillherpetdragons,sir?"saidanotherguard."IthoughtMrWonsesaidsomethingaboutkillingallthedragons."

           "Thatwasjustathreatweweresupposedtomake,"saidthecaptain.

           Theguard’sbrowfurrowed."Yousure,sir?Ithought-"

           Thecaptainhadhadenoughofthis.Screamingharpiesandbroadswordsmakinganoiseliketearingsilkintheairbesidehimhadseverelyruinedhiscapacityforseeingtheotherfellow’spointofview.

           "Oh,youthought,didyou?"hegrowled."Athinker,areyou?Doyouthinkyou’dbesuitableforanotherposting,then?Cityguard,maybe?They’refullofthinkers,theyare."

           Therewasanuncomfortabletitterfromtherestoftheguards.

           "Ifyou’dthought,"addedthecaptainsarcastically,"you’dhavethoughtthatthekingishardlygoingtowantotherdragonsdead,ishe?They’reprobablydistantrelativesorsomething.Imean,itwouldn’twantustogoaroundkillingitsownkind,wouldit?"

           "Well,sir,peopledo,sir,"saidtheguardsulkily.

           "Ah,well,"saidthecaptain."That’sdifferent."