Стража! Стража!

           Itoccurredtohimthat,whileofcoursewhathumanschosetodotooneanotherwasallonetohim,therewerecertainactivitiesthatshouldbecurtailedincasetheperpetratorsgotover-confidentandstarteddoingthingslikethattobooks,too.

           TheLibrarianstaredathisbadgeagain,andgaveitagentlenibbleintheoptimistichopethatithadbecomeedible.Nodoubtaboutit,hehadaDutytothecaptain.

           Thecaptainhadalwaysbeenkindtohim.Andthecaptainhadabadge,too.

           Yes.

           Thereweretimeswhenanapehadtodowhatamanhadtodo...

           Theorangutanthrewacomplexsaluteandswungawayintothedarkness.

           Thesunrosehigher,rollingthroughthemistsandstalesmokelikealostballoon.

           Theranksatintheshadeofachimneystack,waitingandkillingtimeintheirvariousways.Nobbywasthoughtfullyprobingthecontentsofanostril,Carrotwaswritingaletterhome,andSergeantColonwasworrying.

           Afterawhileheshiftedhisweightuneasilyandsaid,"I’vefoughtofaproblem,"

           "Wassat,Sarge?"saidCarrot.

           SergeantColonlookedwretched."Weeell,whatifit’snotamillion-to-onechance?"hesaid.

           Nobbystaredathim.

           "Whatd’youmean?"hesaid."Well,allright,lastdesperatemillion-to-onechancesalwayswork,right,noproblem,but...well,it’sprettywossname,specific.Imean,isn’tit?""Youtellme,"saidNobby."Whatifit’sjustathousand-to-onechance?"saidColonagonisedly."What?"

           "Anyoneeverheardofathousand-to-oneshotcomingup?"

           Carrotlookedup.