Стража! Стража!

           "Moreorless.Moreorless."Nobbytookaquickdragonhisdog-end.

           "Justthat?Nomoonlightchasesacrossrooftops?Noswingingonchandeliers?Nothinglikethat?"saidCarrot.

           "Shouldn’tthinkso,"saidNobbyfervently."Ineverdoneanythinglikethat.No-oneeversaidanythingtomeaboutthat."Hesnatchedapuffonthecigarette."Amancouldcatchhisdeathofcold,chasingaroundonrooftops.IreckonI’llsticktothebell,ifit’sallthesametoyou."

           "CanIhaveago?"saidCarrot.

           Nobbywasfeelingunbalanced.ItcanbetheonlyreasonwhyhemadethemistakeofwordlesslyhandingCarrotthebell.

           Carrotexamineditforafewseconds.Thenhewaveditvigorouslyoverhishead.

           "Twelveo’clock!"hebellowed."Andall’sweeeeelllll!"

           Theechoesbouncedbackandforthacrossthestreetandfinallywereoverwhelmedbyahorrible,thicksilence.Severaldogsbarkedsomewhereinthenight.Ababystartedcrying.

           "Ssshh!"hissedNobby.

           "Well,itisallwell,isn’tit?"saidCarrot.

           "Itwon’tbeifyoukeeponringingthatbloodybell!Giveithere."

           "Idon’tunderstand!"saidCarrot."Look,I’vegotthisbookMrVarneshigaveme-"HefumbledfortheLawsandOrdinances.