Стража! Стража!

           "What?"

           Vimestookanotherhackatthechains.Severalloopstinkledtotheground.

           "Right,you’veaskedfor-"oneoftheguardsbegan.Vimes’selbowcaughthimunderhisribcage;beforehecollapsed,Vimes’sfootkickedsavagelyattheotherone’skneecaps,bringinghischindownreadyforanotherstabwiththeotherelbow.

           "Right,"saidVimesabsently.Herubbedtheelbow.Itwassheeragony.

           Hemovedthecleavertohisotherhandandhammeredatthechainsagain,awareatthebackofhismindthatmoreguardswerehurryingup,butwiththatspecialkindofrunthatguardshad.Heknewitwell.Itwastherunthatsaid,there’sadozenofus,letsomeoneelsegettherefirst.Itsaid,helooksreadytokill,no-one’spayingmetogetkilled,maybeifIrunslowlyenoughhe’llgetaway...

           Nopointinspoilingagooddaybycatchingsomeone.

           LadyRamkinshookherselffree.Araggedcheerwentupandstartedtogrowinvolume.Evenintheircurrentstateofmind,thepeopleofAnkh-Morporkalwaysappreciatedaperformance.

           Shegrabbedahandfulofchainandwrappeditaroundonepudgyfist.

           "Someofthoseguardsdon’tknowhowtotreat-"shebegan.

           "Notime,notime,"saidVimes,grabbingherarm.Itwasliketryingtodragamountain.

           Thecheeringstopped,abruptly.

           TherewasasoundbehindVimes.Itwasnot,particularly,aloudnoise.Itjusthadapeculiarlynastycarryingquality.Itwastheclickoffoursetsoftalonshittingtheflagstonesatthesametime.

           Vimeslookedaroundandup.

           Sootclungtothedragon’shide.