Thud! (Discworld 34)

"I suppose you wouldn"t have one or two up your sleeve too, sir?" Fred went on, the hope now naked and unashamed.

"You know me, Fred, always willing to learn," said Vimes vaguely. He strolled on, nodding to watchmen he knew, slapping others on the back, and trying not to get trapped in anyone"s gaze. Every face was in some way a reflection of the face of Fred Colon. He could practically see their thoughts, while the thud of five hundred clubs hitting the stone in unison banged on the eardrums like a hammer.

You have got it sorted, haven"t you, Mister Vimes? We"re not really going to be stuck here like the meat in a sandwich, right? It"s a trick, yes? It is a trick, isn"t it? Sir?

I hope it is, Vimes thought. But, one way or another, the Watch has to be here. That"s the bloody truth of it.

Something had changed in the rhythm of the gahanka. You had to be listening, but some of the clubs were hitting the ground just ahead or just after the beat. Ah.

He reached Cheery and Carrot, who were staring at the distant

fires of the dwarfs.

"We think we might be getting a result, sir," said Carrot.

"I damn well hope so! What"s happening with the dwarfs?" "Not so much singing, sir," Cheery reported. "Glad to hear it."

"We could handle them, though, couldn"t we, sir?" said Carrot.

"With the golem officers on our side too? If it came to it?"

Of course we couldn"t, Vimes"s mind supplied, not if they mean

it. What we could do is die valiantly. I"ve seen men die valiantly.

There"s no future in it.

"I don"t want it to come to it, captain-" Vimes stopped. A deeper

shadow had moved amongst the shadows.

"What"s the password?" he said quickly.

The shadowy figure, who was cloaked and hooded, hesitated. "Pathword? Ecthcuthe me, I"ve got it written down thome

where-" it began.

"Okay, Igor, come on in," said Carrot.

"How did you know it wath me, thur?" said Igor, ducking under

the barricade.

"Your aftershave" said Vimes, winking at the captain. "How did it go?" Jutht ath you thaid, thur," said Igor, pushing his hood back.

"Inthidentally, thur, I have thcrubbed the thlab well and my couthin

Igor ith thtanding by to lend a hand. In cathe of any little

acthidenth, thur. ..."

"Thank you for thinking of that, Igor," said Vimes, as if Igors ever

thought of anything else. "I hope it won"t be needed."

He looked up and down the Chain. The rain was falling

harder now. Just for once, the copper"s friend had turned up when