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ng Carrot the bell。
Carrot examined it for a few seconds。 Then he waved it vigorously over his head。
〃Twelve o'clock！〃 he bellowed。 〃And all's weeeeelllll！〃
The echoes bounced back and forth across the street and finally were overwhelmed by a horrible； thick silence。 Several dogs barked somewhere in the night。 A baby started crying。
〃Ssshh！〃 hissed Nobby。
〃Well； it is all well； isn't it？〃 said Carrot。
〃It won't be if you keep on ringing that bloody bell！ Give it here。 〃
〃I don't understand！〃 said Carrot。 〃Look； I've got this book Mr Varneshi gave me。。。〃 He fumbled for the Laws and Ordinances。
Nobby glanced at them； and shrugged。 〃Never heard of 'em； 〃 he said。 〃Now just shut up your row。 You don't want to go making a din like that。 You could attract all sorts。 e on； this way。 〃
He grabbed Carrot's arm and bustled him along the street。
〃What sorts？〃 protested Carrot as he was pushed determinedly forward。
〃Bad sorts； 〃 muttered Nobby。
〃But we're the Watch！〃
〃Damn right！ And we don't want to go tangling with people like that！ Remember what happened to Gaskin！〃
〃I don't remember what happened to Gaskin！〃 said Carrot； totally bewildered。 〃Who's Gaskin？〃
〃Before your time； 〃 mumbled Nobby。 He deflated a bit。 ' 'Poor bugger。 Could of happened to any of us。 〃 He looked up and glared at Carrot。 〃Now stop all this； you hear？ It's getting on my nerves。 Moonlight bloody chases； my bum！〃
He stalked along the street。 Nobby's normal method of lootion was a kind of sidle； and the bination of stalking and sidling at the same time created a strange effect； like a crab limping。
〃But； but； 〃 said Carrot； 〃in this book it says。。。〃
〃I don't want to know from no book； 〃 growled Nobby。
Carrot looked utterly crestfallen。
〃But it's the Law。。。〃 he began。
He was nearly terminally interrupted by an axe that whirred out of a low doorway beside him and bounced off the opposite wall。 It was followed by sounds of splintering timber and breaking glass。
〃Hey； Nobby！〃 said Carrot urgently； 〃There's a fight going on！〃
Nobby glanced at the doorway。 〃O'course there is； 〃 he said。 〃It's a dwarf bar。 Worst kind。 You keep out of there； kid。 Them little buggers like to trip you up and then kick twelve kinds of shit out of you。 You e along o'Nobby and he'll。。。〃
He grabbed Carrot's tree trunk arm。 It was like trying to tow a building。
Carrot had gone pale。
〃Dwarfs drinking？ And fighting？〃 he said。
〃You bet； 〃 said Nobby。 〃All the time。 And they use the kind of language I wouldn't even use to my own dear mother。 You don't want to mix it with them； they're a poisonous bunch of 。。。； hey！； don't you go in there！。。。〃
。。。
No one knows why dwarfs； who at home in the mountains lead quiet； orderly lives； forget it all when they move to the big city。 Something es over even the most blameless iron…ore miner and prompts him to wear chain…mail all the time； carry an axe； change his name to something like Grabthroat Shinkicker and drink himself into surly oblivion。
It's probably because they do live such quiet and orderly lives back home。 After all； probably the first thing a young dwarf wants to do when he hits the big city after seventy years of working for his father at the bottom of a pit is have a big drink and then hit someone。
The fight was one of those enjoyable dwarfish fights with about a hundred participants and one hundred and fifty alliances。 The screams； oaths and the ringing of axes on iron helmets mingled with the sounds of a drunken group by the fireplace who … another dwarfish custom … were singing about gold。
Nobby bumped into the back of Carrot； who was watching the scene with horror。
〃Look； it's like this every night in here； 〃 said Nobby。 〃Don't interfere； that's what the sergeant says。 It's their ethnic folkways； or somethin'。 You don't go messin' with ethnic folkways。 〃
〃But； but； 〃 Carrot stuttered； 〃these are my people。 Sort of。 It's shameful； acting like this。 What must everyone think？〃
〃We think they're mean little buggers； 〃 said Nobby。 〃Now； e on！〃
But Carrot had waded into the scuffling mass。 He cupped his hands around his mouth and bellowed something in a language Nobby didn't understand。 Practically any language including his native one would have fitted that description； but in this case it was Dwarfish。
〃Gr'duzk！ Gr'duzk！ aaK'zt ezem ke bur'k tze tzim？〃＇7＇
The fighting stopped。 A hundred bearded faces glared up at Carrot's stooped figure； their annoyance mingled with surprise。
A battered tankard bounced off his breastplate。 Carrot reached down and picked up a struggling figure； without apparent effort。
〃J'uk； ydtruz…t'rud…eztuza； hudr'zddezek drez'huk； huzukruk 't b 'tduz g 'ke 'k me 'ek b 'tduzt' be 'tk kce 'drutk ke'hkt'd。 aaDb'thuk？〃＇8＇
No dwarf had ever heard so many Old Tongue words from the mouth of anyone over four feet high。 They were astonished。
Carrot lowered the offending dwarf to the floor。 There were tears in his eyes。
〃You're dwarfs！〃 he said。 〃Dwarfs shouldn't be acting like this！ Look at you all。 Aren't you ashamed？〃
One hundred bone…hard jaws dropped。
〃I mean； look at you！〃 Carrot shook his head。 〃Can you imagine what your poor； white…bearded old mother； slaving away back in her little hole； wondering how her son is getting on tonight； can you imagine what she'd think if she saw you now？ Your own dear mothers； who first showed you how to use a pickaxe。。。〃
Nobby； standing by the doorway in terror and amazement； was aware of a growing chorus of nose…blowings and muffled sobs as Carrot went on： 〃。。。she's probably thinking； I expect he's having a quiet game of dominoes or something。。。〃
A nearby dwarf； wearing a helmet encrusted with six…inch spikes； started to cry gently into his beer。
〃And I bet it's a long time since any of you wrote her a letter； too； and you promised to write every week。。。〃
Nobby absent…mindedly took out a grubby handkerchief and passed it to a dwarf who was leaning against the wall； shaking with grief。
〃Now； then； 〃 said Carrot kindly。 〃I don't want to be hard on anyone； but I shall be ing past here every night from now on and I shall expect to see proper standards of dwarf behavior。 I know what it's like when you're far from home； but there's no excuse for this sort of thing。 〃 He touched his helmet。 〃G'hruk； t'uk。 〃＇9＇
He gave them all a bright smile and half…walked； half…crouched out of the bar。 As he emerged into the street Nobby tapped him on the arm。
〃Don't you ever do anything like that to me again； 〃 he fumed。 〃You're in the City Watch！ Don't give me any more of this law business！〃
〃But it is very important； 〃 said Carrot seriously； trotting after Nobby as he sidled into a narrower street。
〃Not as important as stayin' in one piece； 〃 said Nobby。 〃Dwarf bars！ If you've got any sense； my lad； you'll e in here。 And shut up。 〃
Carrot stared up at the building they had reached。 It was set back a little from the mud of the street。 The sounds of considerable drinking were ing from inside。 A battered sign hung over the door。 It showed a drum。
〃A tavern； is it？〃 said Carrot； thoughtfully。 〃Open at this hour？〃
〃Don't see why not； 〃 said Nobby；