Coalface blinked.
'I'll join.'
'Swear him in, acting-constable.'
'Permission to enrol another dwarf, sir? To maintain parity?'
'Go ahead, Acting-Constable Cuddy.'
Carrot removed his helmet and wiped his forehead.
'I think that's about it, then,' he said.
The crowd stared at him.
He smiled brightly.
'No-one has to stay here unless they want to,' he said.
'I never done nuffin.'
'Yes . . . but . . . look,' said Stronginthearm. 'If he didn't kill old Hammerhock, who did?'
'I never done nuffin.'
'Our inquiries are proceeding.'
'You don't know!'
'But I'm finding out.'
'Oh, yes? And when, pray, will you know?'
'Tomorrow.'
The dwarf hesitated.
'All right, then,' he said, with extreme reluctance. 'Tomorrow. But it had better be tomorrow.'
'All right,' said Carrot.
The crowd dispersed, or at least spread out a bit. Trolls, dwarfs and humans alike, an Ankh-Morpork citizen is never keen on moving on if there's some street theatre left.
Acting-Constable Detritus, his chest so swollen with pride and pomposity that his knuckles barely touched the ground, reviewed his troops.
'You listen up, you horrible trolls!'
He paused, while the next thoughts shuffled into position.
'You listen up good right now! You in the Watch, boy! It a job with opportunity!' said Detritus. 'I only been doin' it ten minute and already I get promoted! Also got education and training for a good job in Civilian Street!
'This your club with a nail in it. You will eat it. You will sleep on it! When Detritus say Jump, you say . . . what colour! We goin' to do this by the numbers! And I got lotsa numbers!'
'I never done nuffin.'
'You Coalface, you smarten up, you got a field-marshal's button in your knapsack!'
'Never took nuffin, neither.'