The Fifth Elephant (Discworld 24)

Sybil couldn"t lie, you could see her redden when she tried it. Sybil was a rock. She made Detritus look like a sponge.

"We"ve been having a lovely run in the woods, dear," he said. "Now please come here, because I think we"re going to see the King. And I"m going to tell him everything. I"ve worked it out at last."

"The dwarfs will kill you," said the Baroness.

"I can probably outrun a dwarf," said Vimes. "And now we"re leaving. Angua?"

Angua hadn"t moved. Her eyes were still fixed on her mother, and she was still growling.

Vimes recognized the signs. You spotted them in the bars of Ankh-Morpork every Saturday night. Hackles rose, and people climbed up them, and then all that was needed was for someone to break a bottle. Or blink.

"We are leaving, Angua," he repeated. The other werewolves were standing up and stretching.

Carrot reached out and took her arm. She turned, snarling. It was over in a fraction of a second, and in reality her head had hardly moved before she got a grip on herself.

"Sor thiz iz the boy?" said the Baroness, her voice slurring. "You betrrray yourrr people for thizz?"

Her ears were lengthening, Vimes was sure. The muscles in her face were moving strangely, too.

"And what else hass Ankh-Morrporrk taught you?"

Angua shuddered. "Self-control," she muttered. "Let"s go, Mister Vimes."

The werewolves closed in as they backed towards the steps.

"Don"t turn your back," said Angua levelly. "Don"t run."

"Don"t need telling," said Vimes. He was watching Wolfgang, who was moving obliquely across the floor, his eyes fixed on the retreating party.

They"ll have to bunch up to follow us through the doorway, he thought. He glanced at Detritus. The giant crossbow was weaving back and forth as the troll tried to keep all the wolves in the field of fire.

"Fire it," said Angua.

"But they"re your family!" said Sybil.

"They"ll heal soon enough, believe me!"

"Detritus, don"t shoot unless you have to," Vimes ordered, as they headed towards the drawbridge.

"He has to now," said Angua. "Sooner or later Wolfgang will leap, and the others will take - "

"There"s something you ought to know, sir," said Cheery. "You really ought to know it, sir. It"s really important."

Vimes looked across the drawbridge. Figures massed in the dark: Torchlight glinted off armour and weaponry, blocking the way.

"Well, things couldn"t get any worse," he said.

"Oh, they could if there were snakes on here with us," said Lady Sybil.

Carrot turned at the sound of Vimes"s snort of laughter.

"Sir?"

"Oh, nothing, captain. Keep your eyes on the bastards, will you? We can deal with the soldiers later."

"Just say the word, sir," said Detritus.

"You arrre trrapped now," snarled the Baroness. "Watchman! Do yourr duty!"