Стража! Стража!

           "Ifyouliketowaitin’ere,Iwill-"

           "Iknowtheway,"saidVimes,andsetoffaroundtheovergrownpath.

           Thekennelswerearuin.Anassortmentofbatteredwoodenboxeswerelyingaroundunderanoilclothawning.Fromtheirdepthsafewsadswampdragonswhiffledagreetingathim.

           Acoupleofwomenweremovingpurposefullyamongtheboxes.Ladies,rather.Theywerefartoountidytobemerewomen.Noordinarywomenwouldhavedreamedoflookingsoscruffy;youneededthecompleteself-confidencethatcomeswithknowingwhoyourgreat-great-great-great-grandfatherwasbeforeyoucouldwearclotheslikethat.Buttheywere,Vimesnoticed,incrediblygoodclothes,orhadbeenonce;clothesboughtbyone’sparents,butsoexpensiveandofsuchgoodqualitythattheyneverworeoutandwerehandeddown,likeoldchinaandsilverwareandgout.

           Dragonbreeders,hethought.Youcantell.There’ssomethingaboutthem.It’sthewaytheyweartheirsilkscarves,oldtweedcoatsandgranddad’sridingboots.Andthesmell,ofcourse.

           Asmallwirywomanwithafacelikeoldsaddleleathercaughtsightofhim.

           "Ah,"shesaid,"you’llbethegallantcaptain."Shetuckedanerrantstrandofwhitehairbackunderaheadscarfandextendedaveinybrownhand."BrendaRodley.That’sRosieDevant-Molei.SherunstheSunshineSanctuary,youknow."Theotherwoman,whohadthebuildofsomeonewhocouldpickupcarthorseshionehandandshoethemwiththeother,gavehimafriendlygrin.

           "SamuelVimes,"saidVimesweakly.