Men at Arms (Discworld 15)

'You all right, sir? You look like you could do with some sleep.'

Ten o'clock, or various attempts thereof, began to boom around the city. Carrot turned away from the window.

'I've been out looking,' he said.

'Three more recruits this morning already,' said Colon. They'd asked to join 'Mr Carrot's army'. He was slightly worried about that.

'Good.'

'Detritus is giving 'em very basic training,' said Colon. 'It works, too. After an hour of him shouting in their ear, they do anything I tell 'em.'

'I want all the men we can spare up on the rooftops between the Palace and the University,' said Carrot.

'There's Assassins up there already,' said Colon. 'And the Thieves' Guild have got men up there, too.'

'They're Thieves and Assassins. We're not. Make sure someone's up on the Tower of Art as well—'

'Sir?'

'Yes, sergeant?'

'We've been talking . . . me and the lads . . . and, well . . .'

se?' said Carrot.

Gaspode scratched his ear.

'Maybe I could track her down,' said Gaspode. 'Given the right, you know, encouragement.'

He waggled his eyebrows encouragingly.

'If you find her, I'll give you anything you want,' said Carrot.

'Oh, well. If. Right. Oh, yes. That's all very well, is if. What about something up front? Look at these paws, hey? Wear and tear. And this nose doesn't smell by itself. It is a finely tuned instrument.'

'If you don't start looking right away,' said Carrot, 'I will personally—' He hesitated. He'd never been cruel to an animal in his life.

Til turn the matter over to Corporal Nobbs,' he said.

'That's what I like,' said Gaspode bitterly. 'Incentive.'

He presssed his blotchy nose to the ground. It was all show, anyway. Angua's scent hung in the air like a rainbow.

'You can really talk?' said Carrot.

Gaspode rolled his eyes.

' 'Course not,' he said.

The figure had reached the top of the tower.

Lamps and candles were alight all over the city. It was spread out below him. Ten thousand little earthbound stars . . . and he could turn off any one he wanted, just like that. It was like being a god.

It was amazing how sounds were so audible up here. It was like being a god. He could hear the howl of dogs, the sound of voices. Occasionally one would be louder than the rest, rising up into the night sky.

This was power. The power he had below, the power to say: do this, do that . . . that was just something human, but this . . . this was like being a god.

He pulled the gonne into position, clicked a rack of six bullets into position, and sighted at random on a light. And then on another one. And another one.