The Fifth Elephant (Discworld 24)

"They live in Ankh-Morpork."

"Why is this, do you think?"

"I couldn"t say. Because no one tells them how to, I suppose."

"And now you want our gold and iron," said the King. "Is there nothing we can keep?"

"Don"t know about that either, sir. I wasn"t trained for this job."

The King muttered something under his breath. Then, much louder, he said, "I can offer you no favours, your excellency. These are difficult times, see."

"But my real job is finding things out," said Vimes, "If there is anything that I could do to - "

The King thrust the papers at Vimes. "Your letters of accreditation, your excellency. Their contents have been noted!"

And that shuts me up, Vimes thought.

"I would ask you one thing, though," the King went on.

"Yes, sir?"

"Really thirty men and a dog?"

"No. There were only seven men. I killed one of them because I had to."

"How did the others die?"

"Er, victims of circumstance, sir."

"Well, then... your secret is safe with me. Good morning, Miss Littlebottom."

Cheery looked stunned.

The King gave her a brief smile. "Ah, the rights of the individual, a famous Ankh-Morpork invention, or so they say. Thank you, Dee, his excellency was just leaving. You may send in the Copperhead delegation."

As Vimes was ushered out he saw another party of dwarfs assembled in the anteroom. One or two of them nodded at him as they were herded in.

Dee turned back to Vimes. "I hope you didn"t tire his majesty."

"Someone else has already been doing that, by the look of it."

"These are sleepless times," said the Ideas Taster.

"Scone turned up yet?" said Vimes innocently.

"Your excellency, if you persist in this attitude a complaint will go to your Lord Vetinari!"

"He does so look forward to them. Was it this way out?"

It was the last word said until Vimes and his guards were back in the coach and the doors to daylight were opening ahead of them.

Out of the corner of his eye Vimes saw that Cheery was shaking.

"Certainly hits you, doesn"t it, the cold air after the warmth underground..." he ventured.

Cheery grinned in relief. "Yes, it does," she said.

"Seemed quite a decent sort," said Vimes. "What was that he muttered when I said I hadn"t been trained?"