have sent around the taka-taka. You must go, Mister Vimes. I"ll be seeing you again."
"I don"t think I"ll see you," said Vimes. He stood up, and then hesitated.
"One question, right? And no funny answers, if you don"t mind," he said. "Tell me why you helped Brick. Why should you care about a slushed-out gutter troll?"
"Why should you care about some dead dwarfs?" said Mr Shine.
"Because someone has to!"
"Exactly! Goodbye, Mister Vimes."
Vimes hurried up the stairs and followed Miss Pickles/Pointer out into the shop. Detritus was standing among the mineral specimens, looking uncomfortable, like a man in a morgue.
"What"s happening?" said Vimes.
Detritus shifted uneasily. "Sorry, Mister Vimes, but I was the only one dat knew where-" he began.
"Yes, okay. Is this about the taka-taka?"
"How did you know about that, sir?"
"I don"t. What is the taka-taka?"
"It der famous war club of der trolls," said Detritus. Vimes, with the image of the peace club of the trolls downstairs still in his mind, couldn"t stop himself.
"You mean you subscribe and get a different war every month?" he said. But that sort of thing was wasted on Detritus. He treated humour as some human aberration which had to be overcome by talking slowly and patiently.
"No, sir. When der taka-taka is sent a-round the clans, it a summon-ing to war," he said.
"Oh damn. Koom Valley?"
"Yes, sir. An" I"m hearing dat der Low King and der Uberwald dwarfs is already on der way to Koom Valley, too. Der street is full of it."
"Er ... bingle bingle bingle ... ?" said a small and very nervous voice.
Vimes pulled out the Gooseberry and stared at it. At a time like this ...
"Well?" he said.
"It"s twenty-nine minutes past five, Insert Name Here," said the imp nervously.
"So?"
"On foot, at this time of day, you will need to leave now to be home at six o"clock," said the imp.
"Der Patrician want to see you and dere"s clackses arrivin" and everythin"," said Detritus insistently.
Vimes continued to stare at the imp, which looked embarrassed.
"I"m going home," he said, and started walking. Dark clouds were rolling in overhead, heralding another summer storm.
"Dey"ve foun" der three dwarfs near der well, sir," said Detritus, lumbering after him. "Looks like it was other dwarfs what killed "em, sure enough. The ol grags have gone. Captain Carrot"s put guards on every exit he can find. .."
But they dig, Vimes thought. Who knows where all the tunnels go?
... and he wants permission to break open der big iron doors in Treacle Street," Detritus went on. "Dey can get at the last dwarf dat way."
"What are the dwarfs saying about it?" said Vimes, over his shoulder. "The living ones, I mean?"