Стража! Стража!

           Hemadeonesally,hopingmaybetoreachhighgroundfromwhichtofleeintoexile.

           "Wheredoyouthinkthey’vegone?"hesaid.

           "Wherewhat?"saidLadyRamkin,temporarilyhalted.

           "Thedragons.Youknow.Errolandhiswi-female."

           "Oh,somewhereisolatedandrocky,Ishouldimagine,"saidLadyRamkin."Favouritecountryfordragons."

           "Butit-she’samagicalanimal,"saidVimes."What’llhappenwhenthemagicgoesaway?"

           LadyRamkingavehimashysmile.

           "Mostpeopleseemtomanage,"shesaid.

           Shereachedacrossthetableandtouchedhishand.

           "Yourmenthinkyouneedlookingafter,"shesaidmeekly.

           "Oh.Dothey?"saidVimes.

           "SergeantColonsaidhethoughtwe’dgetalonglikeamaisonenFlambt."

           "Oh.Didhe?"

           "Andhesaidsomethingelse,"shesaid."Whatwasit,now?Oh,yes:’It’samilliontoonechance,’,"saidLadyRamkin,"Ithinkhesaid,’butitmightjustwork’."

           Shesmiledathim.

           AndthenitaroseandstruckVimesthat,inherownspecialcategory,shewasquitebeautiful;thiswasthecategoryofallthewomen,inhisentirelife,whohadeverthoughthewasworthsmilingat.Shecouldn’tdoworse,butthen,hecouldn’tdobetter.Somaybeitbalancedout.Shewasn’tgettinganyyoungerbutthen,whowas?Andshehadstyleandmoneyandcommon-senseandself-assuranceandallthethingsthathedidn’t,andshehadopenedherheart,andifyoulethershecouldengulfyou;thewomanwasacity.