Стража! Стража!

           "WhatkindofamanwasdeMalachite?"hesaid.

           TheLibrariangavethistheconsiderationduefromsomeonewhoknewtheDictionaryofCityBiographybyheart.Thenheshrugged.

           "Particularlyholy?"saidVimes.

           Theapeshookhishead.

           "Well,noticeablyevil,then?-"

           Theapeshrugged,andshookhisheadagain.

           "IfIwereyou,"saidVimes,"I’dputthatbooksomewhereverysafe.AndthebookoftheLawwithit.They’retoobloodydangerous."

           "Oook."

           Vimesstretched."Andnow,"hesaid,"let’sgoandhaveadrink."

           "Oook."

           "Butjustasmallone."

           "Oook."

           "Andyou’repaying."

           "Eeek."

           Vimesstoppedandstareddownatthebig,mildface.

           "Tellme,"hesaid."I’vealwayswantedtoknow...isitbetter,beinganape?"

           TheLibrarianthoughtaboutit."Oook,"hesaid.

           "Oh.Really?"saidVimes.

           Itwasthenextday.Theroomwaswall-to-wallwithcivicdignitaries.ThePatriciansatonhisseverechair,surroundedbytheCouncil.Everyonepresentwaswearingtheshinywaxengrinsofthosebentongoodworks.

           LadySybilRamkinsatofftooneside,wearingafewacresofblackvelvet.TheRamkinfamilyjewelsglitteredonherfingers,neckandintheblackcurlsoftoday’swig.Thetotaleffectwasstriking,likeaglobeoftheheavens.

           Vimesmarchedtheranktothecentreofthehallandstampedtoahaltwithhishelmetunderhisarm,asperregulations.He’dbeenamazedtoseethatevenNobbyhadmadeaneffort-thesuspicionofshinymetalcouldbeseenhereandthereonhisbreastplate.