'Yeah. He's reliable.'
The Patrician's carriage was halfway towards Sator Square now. Carrot could see the thin dark figure in the back seat.
He glanced up at the great grey bulk of the tower.
He started to run.
'What's up?' said Colon. Vimes started to run, too.
Detritus' knuckles hit the ground as he swung after the others.
And then it hit Colon – a sort of frantic tingle, as though someone had blown on his naked brain.
'Oh, shit,' he said, under his breath.
Claws scrabbled on the dirt.
'He drew his sword!'
'What did you expect? One minute the lad is on top of the world, he's got a whole new interest in his life, something probably even better than goin' for walks, and then he turns round and what he sees is, basically, a wolf. You could of hinted. It's that time of the month, that sort of thing. You can't blame him for being surprised, really.'
Gaspode got to his feet. 'Now, are you going to come on out or have I got to come in there and be brutally savaged?'
Lord Vetinari stood up as he saw the Watch running towards him. That was why the first shot went through his thigh, instead of his chest.
Then Carrot cleared the door of the carriage and flung himself across the man, which is why the next shot went through Carrot.
Angua slunk out.
Gaspode relaxed slightly.
'I can't go back,' said Angua. 'I—'
She froze. Her ears twitched.
'What? What?'
'He's been hurt!'
Angua sprang away.
'Here! Wait for me!' barked Gaspode. 'That's the Shades that way!'
A third shot knocked a chip out of Detritus, who slammed into the carriage, knocking it on its side and severing the traces. The horses scrambled away. The coachman had already made a lightning comparison between current job conditions and his rates of pay and had vanished into the crowd.
Vimes slid to a halt behind the overturned carriage. Another shot spanged off the cobbles near his arm.
'Detritus?'
'Sir?'
'How are you?'
'Oozing a bit, sir.'
A shot hit the carriage wheel above Vimes' head, making it spin.
'Carrot?'