Стража! Стража!

           Well-knownfact."

           "Thesergeantisright,Nobby,"saidCarrotvirtuously."Youknowthatwhenthere’sjustonechancewhichmightjustwork-well,itworks.Otherwisethere’dbeno-"heloweredhisvoice-"Imean,itstandstoreason,iflastdesperatechancesdidn’twork,there’dbeno...well,thegodswouldn’tletitbeanyotherway.Theywouldn’t."

           Asoneman,thethreeofthemturnedandlookedthroughthemurkyairtowardsthehuboftheDisc-world,thousandsofmilesaway.Nowtheairwasgreywitholdsmokeandmistshreds,butonacleardayitwaspossibletoseeCoriCelesti,homeofthegods.Siteofthehomeofthegods,anyway.TheylivedinDunmanifestin,thestuccoedValhalla,wherethegodsfacedeternitywiththekindofmindsthatwereatalosstoknowwhattodotopassawetafternoon.Theyplayedgameswiththefatesofmen,itwassaid.Exactlywhatgametheythoughttheywereplayingatthemomentwasanyone’sguess.

           Butofcoursetherewererules.Everyoneknewtherewererules.TheyjusthadtohopelikeHellthatthegodsknewtherules,too.

           "It’sgottowork,"mumbledColon."I’llbeusingmyluckyarrow’nall.You’reright.Lasthopelesschanceshavegottowork.Nothingmakesanysenseotherwise.Youmightaswellnotbealive."

           Nobbylookeddownatthepondagain.Afteramoment’shesitationColonjoinedhim.