Her foot rolled on a candle and she fell heavily, but with enough presence of mind to roll before a foot stamped down.
'Where've you gone?' she yelled.
'Can you get it to move a little closer to the doors, please?' said a voice from the darkness on high.
Carrot crawled out along the rickety structure that supported the production line.
'Carrot!'
'Almost there...'
The king grabbed at her leg. She lashed out with her foot and caught it on the knee.
To her amazement she made it crack. But the fire below was still there. The pieces of pottery seemed to float on it. No matter what anyone did the golem could keep going, even if it were just a cloud of dust held together.
'Ah. Right,' said Carrot, and dropped off the gantry.
He landed on the king's back, flung one arm around its neck, and began to pound on its head with the hilt of his sword. It staggered and tried to reach up to pull him off.
'Got to get the words out!' Carrot shouted, as the arms flailed at him. 'It's the only... way!'
The king staggered forward and hit a stack of boxes, which burst and rained candles over the floor. Carrot grabbed its ears and tried to twist.
Angua heard him saying: 'You... have... the right... to ... a lawyer...'
'Carrot! Don't bother with its damn rights!'
'You... have... the right to - '
'Just give it the last ones!'
There was a commotion in the gaping doorway and Vimes ran in, sword drawn. 'Oh, gods... Sergeant Detritus!'
Detritus appeared behind him. 'Sah!'
'Crossbow bolt through the head, if you please!'
Tf you say so, sir...'
'Its head, Sergeant! Mine is fine! Carrot, get down off the thing!'
'Can't get its head off, sir!'
'We'll try six feet of cold steel in the ear just as soon as you let the damn thing go!'
Carrot steadied himself on the king's shoulders, tried to judge his moment as the thing staggered around, and leapt.
He landed awkwardly on a sliding heap of candles. His leg buckled under him and he tumbled over until he was stopped by the inert shell that had been Dorfl.
'Hey, look dis way, mister,' said Detritus.
The king turned.
Vimes didn't catch everything that happened next, because it all happened so quickly. He was merely aware of the rush of air and thegloink of the rebounding bolt mingling with the wooden juddering noise as it buried itself in the doorframe behind him.
And the golem was crouching down by Carrot, who was trying to squirm out of the way.
It raised a fist, and brought it down...