Стража! Стража!

           InthenighttimestreetsofAnkh-Morporkcautionisanabsolute.Thereisnosuchthingasmoderatelycautious.Youareeitherverycautious,oryouaredead.Youmightbewalkingaroundandbreathing,butyou’redead,justthesame.

           Heheardthemuffledsoundscomingfromthenearbyalley,slidhisleather-boundcoshfromhissleeve,waiteduntilthevictimwasalmostturningthecorner,sprangout,said"Oh,shi-"anddied.

           Itwasamostunusualdeath.No-oneelsehaddiedlikethatforhundredsofyears.

           Thestonewallbehindhimglowedcherryredwithheat,whichgraduallyfadedintodarkness.

           HewasthefirsttoseetheAnkh-Morporkdragon.Hederivedlittlecomfortfromknowingthis,however,becausehewasdead.

           "-t,"hesaid,andhisdisembodiedselflookeddownatthesmallheapofcharcoalwhich,heknewwithanunfamiliarsortofcertainty,waswhathehadjustbeendisembodiedfrom.Itwasastrangesensation,seeingyourownmortalremains.Hedidn’tfinditashorrifyingashewouldhaveimaginedifyou’daskedhim,say,tenminutesago.Findingthatyouaredeadismitigatedbyalsofindingthattherereallyisayouwhocanfindyoudead.

           Thealleyoppositewasemptyagain.

           "Thatwasreallystrange,"saidMooty.

           extremelyunusual,certainly.