'Much better to try the Thieves' Guild!' a man yelled. 'Six floors, and then you're on good solid cobbles! Crack your skull first go!'
'There's proper flagstones around the palace,' advised the man next to him.
'Well, certainly,' said his immediate neighbour. 'But the Patrician'll kill him if he tries to jump from up there, am I right?'
'Well?'
'Well, it's a question of style, isn't it?'
'Tower of Art's good,' said a woman confidently. 'Nine hundred feet, almost. And you get a good view.'
'Granted, granted. But you also get a long time to think about things. On the way down, I mean. Not a good time for introspection, in my view.'
'Look, I've got a load of prawns on my wagon and if I'm held up any longer they're gonna be walking home,' moaned a carter. 'Why doesn't he just jump?'
'He's thinking about it. It's a big step, after all.'
The man on the edge turned his head when he heard a shuffling noise. William was sidling along the ledge, trying hard not to look down.
' 'Morning. Come to try and talk me out of it, 'ave yer?'
'I... I...' William really tried not to look down. The ledge had looked a lot wider from below. He was regretting the whole thing. 'I wouldn't dream of it...'
'I'm always open to being talked out of it.'
'Yes, yes... er... would you care to give me your name and address?' said William. There was a hitherto unsuspected nasty breeze up here, gusting treacherously around the rooftops. It fluttered the pages of his notebook.
'Why?'
'Er... because from this height on to solid ground it's often hard
to find out that sort of thing afterwards,' said William, trying not to breathe out too much. 'And if I'm going to put this in the paper, it'd look much better if I say who you were.'
'What paper?'
William pulled a copy of the Times out of his pocket. It rattled in the wind as he wordlessly handed it over.
The man sat down and read it, his lips moving, his legs dangling over the drop.
'So this is, like, things that happen?' he said. 'Like a towncrier, but written down?'
That's right. So, what was your name?'
'What do you mean, was?'
'Well, you know... obviously...' said William wretchedly. He waved his hand towards the void, and almost lost his balance. 'If you...'
'Arthur Crank.'
'And where did you live, Arthur?'
'Prattle Alley.'
'And what was your job?'
'There you go with the was again. The Watch usually give me a cup of tea, you know.'
A warning bell went off in William's head. 'You... jump a lot, do you?'