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m through in one movement。
。。。
The rank surveyed their handiwork。
〃Right；〃 said Nobby。 〃Now； what are the chances of a man standing on one leg with his hat on backwards and a handkerchief in his mouth hitting a dragon's voonerables？ 〃
〃Mmph；〃 said Colon。
〃It's pretty long odds；〃 said Carrot。 〃I reckon the hanky is a bit over the top； though。〃
Colon spat it out。 〃Make up your minds；〃 he said。 〃Me leg's going to sleep。〃
。。。
Vimes picked himself up off the greasy cobbles and stared at the Librarian。 He was experiencing something which had e as a shock to many people； usually in much more unpleasant circumstances such as a brawl started in the Mended Drum when the ape wanted a bit of peace and quiet to enjoy a reflective pint； which was this： the Librarian might look like a stuffed rubber sack； but what it was stuffed with was muscle。
〃That was amazing；〃 was all he could find to say。 He looked down at the twisted bars； and felt his mind darken。 He grabbed the bent metal。 〃You don't happen to know where Wonse is； do you？〃 he added。
〃Eeek！〃 The Librarian thrust a tattered piece of parchment under his nose。 〃Eeek！〃
Vimes read the words。
It hathe pleased 。 。 。 whereas 。 。 。 at the stroke of noone 。。。 a maiden pure； yet high born 。 。 。 pact between ruler and ruled 。。。
〃In my city！〃 he growled。 〃In my bloody city！〃
He grabbed the Librarian by two handfuls of chest hair and pulled him up to eye height。
〃What time is it？〃 he shouted。
〃Oook！〃
A long red…haired arm unfolded itself upwards。 Vimes's gaze followed the pointing finger。 The sun definitely had the look of a heavenly body that was nearly at the crest of its orbit and looking forward to a long； lazy coasting towards the blankets of dusk 。 。 。
〃I'm not bloody well going to have it； understand？〃 Vimes shouted； shaking the ape back and forth。
〃Oook；〃 the Librarian pointed out； patiently。
〃What？ Oh。 Sorry。〃 Vimes lowered the ape； who wisely didn't make an issue of it because a man angry enough to lift 300lbs of orangutan without noticing is a man with too much on his mind。
Now he was staring around the courtyard。
〃Any way out of here？〃 he said。 〃Without climbing the walls； I mean。〃
He didn't wait for an answer but loped around the walls until he reached a narrow； grubby door； and kicked it open。 It hadn't been locked anyway； but he kicked it just the same。 The Librarian trailed along behind； swinging on his knuckles。
The kitchen on the other side of the door was almost deserted； the staff having finally lost their nerve and decided that all prudent chefs refrained from working in an establishment where there was a mouth bigger than they were。 A couple of palace guards were eating a cold lunch。
〃Now；〃 said Vimes； as they half…rose； 〃I don't want to have to。。。〃
They didn't seem to want to listen。 One of them reached for a crossbow。
〃Oh； the hell with it。〃 Vimes grabbed a butcher's knife from a block beside it and threw it。
There is an art in throwing knives and； even then； you need the right kind of knife。 Otherwise it does just what this one did； which is miss pletely。
The guard with the bow leaned sideways； righted himself； and found that a purple fingernail was gently blocking the firing mechanism。 He looked around。 The Librarian hit him right on top of his helmet。
The other guard shrank back； waving his hands frantically。
〃Nonono！〃 he said。 〃It's a misunderstanding！ What was it you said you didn't want to have to do？ Nice monkey！〃
〃Oh； dear；〃 said Vimes。 〃Wrong！〃
He ignored the terrified screaming and rummaged through the debris of the kitchen until he came up with a cleaver。 He'd never felt really at home with swords； but a cleaver was a different matter。 A cleaver had weight。 It had purpose。 A sword might have a certain nobility about it； unless it was the one belonging for example to Nobby； which relied on rust to hold it together； but what a cleaver had was a tremendous ability to cut things up。
He left the biology lesson…that no monkey was capable of bouncing someone up and down by their ankles…found a likely door； and hurried through it。 This took him outside again； into the big cobbled area that surrounded the palace。 Now he could get his bearings； now he could 。 。 。
There was a boom in the air above him。 A gale blew downwards； knocking him over。
The King of Ankh…Morpork； wings outspread； glided across the sky and settled for a moment on the palace gateway； talons gouging long scars in the stone as it caught its balance。 The sun glittered off its arched back as it stretched its neck； roared a lazy billow of flames； and sprang into the air again。
Vimes made an animal … a mammalian animal … noise in the back of his throat； and ran out into the empty streets。
。。。
Silence filled the ancestral home of the Ramkins。 The front door swung back and forth on its hinges； letting in the mon； badly…brought up breeze which wandered through the deserted rooms； gawping and looking for dust on the top of the furniture。 It wound up the stairs and banged through the door of Sybil Ramkin's bedroom； rattling the bottles on the dressing table and riffling through the pages of Diseases of the Dragon。
A really fast reader could have learned the symptoms of everything from Abated Heels to Zigzag Throat。
And down below； in the low； warm and foul…smelling shed that housed the swamp dragons； it seemed that Errol had got them all。 Now he sat in the centre of his pen； swaying and moaning softly。 White smoke rolled slowly from his ears and drifted towards the floor。 From somewhere inside his swollen stomach came plex explosive hydraulic noises； as though desperate teams of gnomes were trying to drive a culvert through a cliff in a thunderstorm。
His nostrils flared； turning more or less of their own volition。
The other dragons craned over the pen walls； watching him cautiously。
There was another distant gastric roar。 Errol shifted painfully。
The dragons exchanged glances。 Then； one by one； they lay down carefully on the floor and put their paws over their eyes。
。。。
Nobby put his head on one side。 〃It looks promising；〃 he said critically。 〃We might be nearly there。 I reckon the chances of a man with soot on his face； his tongue sticking out； standing on one leg and singing The Hedgehog Song ever hitting a dragon's voonerables would be 。。。 what'd you say； Carrot？〃
〃A million to one； I reckon；〃 said Carrot virtuously。
Colon glared at them。
〃Listen； lads；〃 he said； 〃you're not winding me up； are you？〃
Carrot looked down at the plaza below them。
〃Oh； bloody hell；〃 he said softly。
〃Wassat？〃 said Colon urgently； looking around。
〃They're chaining a woman to a rock！〃
The rank stared over the parapet。 The huge and silent crowd that lined the plaza stared too； at a white figure struggling between half a dozen palace guards。
〃Wonder where they got the rock from？〃 said Colon。 〃We're on loam here； you know。〃
〃Fine strapping wench； whoever she is；〃 said Nobby approvingly； as one of the guards wheeled off bow…legged and collapsed。 〃That's one lad who won't know what to do with his evenin's for a few weeks。 Got a mean righ