Стража! Стража!

           AndsotheGuildhadbeenencouragedtocomeoutoftheshadowsandbuildabigGuildhouse,taketheirplaceatcivicbanquets,andsetuptheirtrainingcollegewithday-releasecoursesandCityandGuildscertificatesandeverything.InexchangeforthewindingdownoftheWatch,theyagreed,whiletryingtokeeptheirfacesstraight,tokeepcrimelevelstoaleveltobedeterminedannually.Thatway,everyonecouldplanahead,saidLordVetinari,andpartoftheuncertaintyhadbeenremovedfromthechaosthatislife.

           Andthen,alittlewhilelater,thePatriciansummonedtheleadingthievesagainandsaid,oh,bytheway,therewassomethingelse.Whatwasit,now?Oh,yes...

           Iknowwhoyouare,hesaid.Iknowwhereyoulive.Iknowwhatkindofhorseyouride.Iknowwhereyourwifehasherhairdone.Iknowwhereyourlovelychildren,howoldaretheynow,my,doesn’ttimefly,Iknowwheretheyplay.Soyouwon’tforgetaboutwhatweagreed,willyou?Andhesmiled.

           Sodidthey,afterafashion.

           Andinfactithadturnedoutverysatisfactorilyfromeveryone’spointofview.Ittooktheheadthievesaverylittletimetogrowpaunchesandstarthavingcoats-of-armsmadeandmeetinaproperbuildingratherthansmokydens,whichno-onehadlikedmuch.Acomplicatedarrangementofreceiptsandvoucherssawtoitthat,whileeveryonewaseligiblefortheattentionsoftheGuild,no-onehadtoomuch,andthiswasveryacceptable-atleasttothosecitizenswhowererichenoughtoaffordthequitereasonablepremiumstheGuildchargedforanuninterruptedlife.Therewasastrangeforeignwordforthis:inn-sewer-ants.No-oneknewexactlywhatithadoriginallymeant,butAnkh-Morporkhadmadeititsown.