Making Money

'Oh, very well, if you think it will help,' said Hubert. He took a sip from the jug Igor had just used, and cleared his throat.

'Hah,' he said. 'Er, hahahh hah HA HA HA HA HA HA…'

What a waste of a wonderful gift, thought Igor, and turned the handle.

Gloop!

Even from down here in the vaults you could hear the buzz of activity in the banking hall.

Moist walked under the weight of a crate of banknotes, to Adora Belle's annoyance.

'Why can't you put them in a safe?'

'Because those're full of coins. Anyway, we'll have to keep them in here for now, until we get sorted out.'

'It's really just a victory thing, isn't it? Your triumph over gold.'

'A bit, yes.'

'You got away with it again.'

'I wouldn't exactly put it like that. Gladys has applied to be my secretary'

'Here's a tip: don't let her sit on your lap.'

'I'm being serious here! She's ferocious! She probably wants my job now! She believes everything she reads!'

'There's your answer, then. Good grief, she's the least of your problems!'

'Every problem is an opportunity,' said Moist primly.

'Well, if you upset Vetinari again you will have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to never have to buy another hat.'

'No, I think he likes a little opposition.'

'And are you any good at knowing how much?'

'No. It's what I enjoy. You get a wonderful view from the point of no return.'

Moist opened the vault and put the crate on a shelf. It looked a bit lost and alone, but he could just make out the thudding of the press in the Mint as Mr Spools's men worked hard at providing it with company.

Adora Belle leaned on the doorframe, watching him carefully.

'They tell me that while I was away you did all kinds of risky things. Is that true?'

'I like to flirt with risk. It's always been part of my life.'

'But you don't do that kind of stuff while I'm around,' said Adora Belle. 'So I'm enough of a thrill, am I?'

She advanced. The heels helped, of course, but Spike could move like a snake trying to sashay, and the severe, tight and ostensibly modest dresses she wore left everything to the imagination, which is much more inflammatory than leaving nothing. Speculation is always more interesting than facts.

'What are you thinking about right now?' she said. She dropped her cigarette stub and pinned it with a heel.

'Money boxes,' said Moist instantly.

'Money boxes?'

'Yes, in the shape of the bank and the Mint. To teach the kiddies the habits of thrift. The money could go in the slot where the Bad Penny is—'

'Are you really thinking about money boxes?'

'Er, no. I'm flirting with risk again.'

'That's better!'

'Although you must admit that it's a pretty clev—'

Adora Belle grabbed Moist by the shoulders. 'Moist von Lipwig, if you don't give me a big wet kiss right now— Ow! Are there fleas down here?'

It felt like a hailstorm. The air in the vault had become a golden mist. It would have been pretty, if it wasn't so heavy. It stung where it touched.

Moist grabbed her hand and dragged her out as the teeming particles became a torrent. Outside, he took off his hat, which was already so heavy that it was endangering his ears, and tipped a small fortune in gold on to the floor. The vault was already half full.

'Oh no,' he moaned, 'Just when it was going so well…'

Chapter 14

WHITENESS, COOLNESS, the smell of starch.

'Good morning, my lord.'

Cosmo opened his eyes. A female face, surrounded by a white cap, was looking down at him.

Ah, so it had worked. He had known it would.

'Would you like to get up?' said the woman, stepping back. There were a couple of heavily built men behind her, also in white. This was just as it should be.

He looked down at the place where a whole finger should be, and saw a stump covered in a bandage. He couldn't quite remember how this had happened, but that was fine. After all, in order to change, something had to be lost as well as gained. That was fine. So this was a hospital. That was fine.

'This is a hospital, yes?' he said, sitting up in the bed.

'Well done, your lordship. You are in the Lord Vetinari ward, as a matter of fact.'

That is fine, Cosmo thought. I endowed a ward at some time. That was very forward-looking of me.

'And those men are bodyguards?' he said, nodding at the men.

'Well, they are here to see that no harm comes to you,' said the nurse, 'so I suppose that's true.'

There were a number of other patients in the long ward, all in white robes, some of them seated and playing board games, and a number of them standing at the big window, staring out. They stood in identical poses, their hands clasped behind their backs. Cosmo watched them for some time.

Then he stared at the small table where two men were sitting opposite one another, apparently taking it in turns to measure each other's forehead. He had to pay careful attention for some time before he worked out what was going on. But Lord Vetinari was not a man to jump to conclusions.

'Excuse me, nurse,' said Cosmo, and she hurried over. He beckoned her closer, and the two burly men drew nearer, too, watching him carefully.