Thud

`What cube would this be, commander?' said the King. Vimes had to admire his acting ability, at least.

`The one you're looking for,' he said. `The one dug up in my city. The one all this fuss is about. They wouldn't throw it away because they're grags, right? You can't destroy words. It's the worst crime there is. So they'd keep it with them.'

The Low King looked at Captain Gud, who swallowed.

`It's not in this cave,' he muttered.

`They wouldn't leave it anywhere else,' said Vimes. `Not now! Someone might find it!'

The luckless captain turned to his king, seeking help there.

`There was panic everywhere when we arrived, sire!' he protested. `People running and screaming, fires everywhere! Complete chaos, sire! All we can be sure of is that no one got out! And we searched them all, sire. We searched them all!'

Vimes shut his eyes. Memories were fading fast as common sense walled up all those things that could not have happened, but he recalled the panicking grags, hunched over something. Had there been just a twinkle of blue and green specks?

Time for a long shot ...

`Corporal Nobbs, come here!' he said. `Let him through, captain. I insist!'

Gud didn't protest. His spirit was broken. A reluctant Nobby was produced.

`Yes, Mister Vimes?' he said.

`Corporal Nobbs, did you obtain that precious thing I asked you to acquire?' said Vimes.

`Er, what would that be, sir?' said Nobby. Vimes's heart leapt. Nobby's face was an open book, albeit the kind that got banned in some countries.

`Nobby, there are times when I'll put up with you mucking about. This isn't one,' he said. `Did you find the thing I asked you to look for?'

Nobby looked into his eyes. `I ... Oh? Oh. Oh, yes, sir,' he said. `I

... yes ... we rushed in, you see, you see, you see, and people were running everywhere and there was, like, smoke. .: Nobby's face glazed and his lips moved soundlessly in an agony of creation,'... an, an' I was bravely fightin' when what did I see but a sparkly thing rollin' and bein' kicked about, an' I thought, I jus' bet that's the very same sparkly thing Mister Vimes very specific'ly told me to be lookin' out for ... an' here it is, all safe . .

He pulled a small, gently glittering cube from his pocket and held it out.

Vimes was faster than the King. His hand shot forward, closed over the cube, and was locked in a fist in the skin of a second.

`Well done, Corporal Nobbs, for obeying my orders so concisely,' he said, and stifled a grin at Nobby's impeccably dreadful salute.

`I believe that is dwarf property, Commander Vimes,' said the King calmly.

Vimes opened his hand, palm up. The cube, only a couple of inches across, gave off little blue and green glints. The metal looked like bronze that had been corroded by time into a beautiful pattern of greens, blues and browns. It was a jewel.

He's a king, thought Vimes. A king on a throne as wobbly as a rocking-horse. And he's not nice. It's not a job where the nice last long. He even got a spy into my Watch! I will not put my faith in kings. Right now, who do I trust?

Me.

One thing I do know is that no damn demon got inside my head, no matter what they say. I wouldn't buy that even if they threw in a lifetime supply of cabbage! No one gets into my head but me! But you play the hand you're dealt ...

`Take it,' he said, opening his hand. On his wrist, the Summoning Dark glowed.

`I ask you to give it to me, commander,' said Rhys.

`Take it,' Vimes repeated. And he thought: Let's see what you believe, shall we?

The King reached out, hesitated, and then slowly withdrew his

hand.

`Or, perhaps,' he said, as if the thought had just occurred to him,

`it might be best to leave it in your celebrated custody, Commander Vimes.'

`Yes. I want to hear what it has to say,' said Vimes, closing his fist

again. `I want to know what was too dangerous to know.'

`Indeed, so do I,' said the king of the dwarfs. `We will take it to a

place that can-'

`Look around you, sire!' snapped Vimes. `Dwarfs and trolls died

here! They weren't fighting, they were standing together! Look

around you, the place looks like a godsdamn game board! Was this

their testament? Then we listen to it here! In this place! At this

time!'

`And supposing what it has to say is dreadful?' said the King. `Then we listen!'

`I am the King, Vimes! You have no authority here! This is

not your city! You stand here defying me with a handful of men and

your wife and child not ten miles away-'

Rhys stopped, and the echoes bounced back from distant caves,

tumbling over themselves and dying into a silence that rang like iron. Out of the corner of his ear Vimes heard Sally say, `Oops ...' Bashfullsson hurried forward and whispered something in the

King's ear. The dwarf's expression changed as only a politician's face

can, into careful amity.

I'm not going to do a thing, Vimes told himself. I'm just going to

stand here.

`I do look forward to meeting Lady Sibyl again,' said Rhys. `And

your son, of course ...'

`Good. They're staying in a house not ten miles away,' said Vimes.

`Sergeant Littlebottom?'