The Truth (Discworld 25)

'Do I sound like Ron?' said the voice.

'Not... exactly. So who am I talking to?'

'You can call me... Deep Bone.'

'Deep Bone?

'Anything wrong with that?'

'I suppose not. What can I do for you, Mr Bone?'

'Just supposin' someone knew where the doggie was but didn't want to get involved with the Watch?' said the voice of Deep Bone.

'Why not?'

'Let's just say the Watch can be trouble to a certain kind of person, eh? That's one reason.'

'All right.'

'And let's just say there's people around who'd much prefer the little doggie didn't tell what it knew, shall we? The Watch might not take enough care. They're very uncaring about dogs, the Watch.'

'Are they?'

'Oh yes, the Watch fink a dog has no human rights at all. That's another reason.'

'Is there a third reason?'

'Yes. I read in the paper where there's a reward.'

'Ah. Yes?'

'Only it got printed wrong, 'cos it said twenty-five dollars instead of a hundred dollars, see?'

'Oh. I see. But a hundred dollars is a lot of money for a dog, Mr Bone.'

'Not for this dog, if you know what I mean,' said the shadows. 'This dog's got a story to tell.'

'Oh, yes? It's the famous talking dog of Ankh-Morpork, is it?'

Deep Bone growled. 'Dogs can't talk, everyone knows that. But there's them as can understand dog language, if you catch my drift.'

'Werewolves, you mean?'

'Could be people of that style of kidney, yes.' ;Was there?' said Mr Slant.

The chair that had first mentioned the Times had something on its mind.

'I'd feel happier if a few likely lads smashed up the press,' it said.

That would attract attention,' said a chair. The Times wants attention. The... writer craves to be noticed.'

'Oh, well, if you insist.'

'I would not dream of insisting. But the Times will collapse,' said the chair, and this was the chair that other chairs listened to. The young man is also an idealist. He has yet to find out that what's in the public interest is not what the public is interested in.'

'Say again?'

'I mean, gentlemen, that people probably think he's doing a good job, but what they are buying is the Inquirer. The news is more interesting. Did I ever tell you, Mr Slant, that a lie will go round the world before the truth has got its boots on?'