Men at Arms (Discworld 15)

Gaspode had an amazingly clear view of the street, three storeys down.

'Oh, hell!' said Gaspode.

Jaws gripped his tail.

'Let him go,' said Angua indistinctly.

Gaspode tried to shake his head.

'Stop ftruggling!' he said, out of the corner of his mouth. 'Brave Dog Faves the Day! Valiant Hound in Wooftop Wefcue! No!'

The gutter creaked again.

It's going to go, he thought. Story of my life . . .

Big Fido struggled around.

'What are you holding me up by?'

'Yer collar,' said Gaspode, through his teeth.

'What? To hell with that!'

The poodle tried to twist, flailing viciously at the air.

'Ftop it, you daft fbugger! You'll haf uff all off!' Gaspode growled. On the opposite roof, the dog pack watched in horror. The gutter creaked again.

Angua's claws scored white lines on the slates.

Big Fido wrenched and spun, fighting the grip of the collar.

Which, finally, snapped.

The dog turned in the air, hanging for a moment before gravity took hold.

'Free!'

And then he fell.

digested this. Detritus beamed at him.

'And where is Sergeant Colon?'

'Here, Captain Vimes.'

'I need a best man, Fred.'

'Right, sir. I'll get Corporal Carrot. He's just checking the roofs—'

'Fred! I've known you more than twenty years! Good grief, all you have to do is stand there. Fred, you're good at that!'

Carrot appeared at the trot.

'Sorry I'm late, Captain Vimes. Er. We really wanted this to be a surprise—'

'What? What sort of surprise?'

Carrot fished in his pouch. 'Well, captain . . . on behalf of the Watch . . . that is, most of the Watch—'