'Oh, yes,' said Detritus, 'it's got to be something else, because it's not a dwarf hall in the mountains.'
'Can you see any way up?'
'No.'
'We could have passed a dozen ways to the surface and not known it.'
'Yes,' said the troll. 'It's a knotty problem.'
'Detritus?'
'Yes?'
'Did you know you're getting smarter again, down here in the cool?'
'Really?'
'Can you use it to think of a way out?'
'Digging?' the troll suggested.
There were fallen blocks here and there in the tunnels. Not many; the place had been well built . . .
'Nah. Haven't got a shovel,' said Cuddy.
Detritus nodded.
'Give me your breastplate,' he said.
He leaned it up against the wall. His fist pounded into it a few times. He handed it back. It was, more or less, shovel shaped.
'It's a long way up,' Cuddy said doubtfully.
'But we know the way,' said Detritus. 'It's either that, or stay down here eating rat for rest of your life.'
Cuddy hesitated. The idea had a certain appeal. . .
'Without ketchup,' Detritus added.
'I think I saw a fallen stone just a way back there,' said the dwarf.
Captain Quirke looked around the Watch room with the air of one who was doing the scenery a favour by glancing at it.
'Nice place, this,' he said. 'I think we'll move in here. Better than the quarters near the Palace.'
'But we're here,' said Sergeant Colon.
'You'll just have to squash up,' said Captain Quirke.
He glanced at Angua. Her stare was getting on his nerves.
'There'll be a few changes, too,' he said. Behind him, the door creaked open. A small, smelly dog limped in.
'But Lord Vetinari hasn't said who's commanding Night Watch,' said Carrot.
'Ho, yes? Seems to me, seems to me,' said Quirke, 'that it's not likely to be one of you lot, eh? Seems to me it's likely the Watches'll be combined. Seems to me there's too much sloppiness around the place. Seems to me there's a bit too much of a ragtag.'
He glanced at Angua again. The way she was looking at him was putting him off.