‘You’re not going to handcuff me?’
Vimes’s mouth dropped open. ‘Why should I do that?’
‘Treason is very nearly the ultimate crime, Sir Samuel. I think I should demand handcuffs.’
‘All right, if you insist.’ Vimes nodded at Dorfl. ‘Cuff him, then.’
‘You haven’t any shackles, by any chance?’ said Lord Vetinari, as Dorfl produced a pair of handcuffs. ‘We may as well do this thing properly—’
‘No. We don’t have any shackles.’
‘I was only trying to help, Sir Samuel. Shall we be going?’
The crowd weren’t jeering. That was almost frightening. They were just waiting, like an audience watching to see how the trick was going to be done. They parted again as the Patrician headed towards the centre of the city. He stopped and turned.
‘What was the other thing… oh yes, I don’t have to be dragged on a hurdle, do I?’
‘Only if you’re actually executed, my lord,’ said Carrot, cheerfully. ‘Traditionally, traitors are dragged to their place of execution on a hurdle. And then you’re hung, drawn and quartered.’ Carrot looked embarrassed. ‘I know about the hanging and quartering but I’m not sure how you’re drawn, sir.’
‘Are you any good with a pencil, captain?’ said Lord Vetinari innocently.
‘No, he’s not!’ said Vimes.
‘Do you actually have a hurdle?’
‘No!’ snapped Vimes.
‘Oh? Well, I believe there’s a sports equipment shop in Sheer Street. Just in case, Sir Samuel.’
A figure walked across the trampled sand near Gebra, and paused when a voice very near ground level said, hopefully, ‘Bingeley-bingeley beep?’
The Dis-organizer felt itself being picked up.
WHAT KIND OF A THING ARE YOU?
‘I am the Dis-organizer Mk II, with many handy hard-to-use features, Insert Name Here!’
SUCH AS?
Even the Dis-organizer’s tiny mind felt slightly uneasy. The voice it was speaking to didn’t sound right.
‘I know what time it is everywhere,’ it ventured.
SO DO I.
‘Er… I can maintain an up-to-the-minute contacts directory…’ The Dis-organizer felt movements that suggested the new owner had mounted a horse.
REALLY? I HAVE A GREAT MANY CONTACTS.
‘There you are, then,’ said the demon, trying to hold on to its rapidly draining enthusiasm. ‘So I make a note of them, and when you want to contact them again—’
THAT IS GENERALLY NOT NECESSARY. MOSTLY, THEY STAY CONTACTED.
‘Well… do you have many appointments?’ There were hoofbeats, and then no sound but rushing wind.
MORE THAN YOU COULD POSSIBLY IMAGINE. NO… I THINK, PERHAPS, YOUR TALENTS COULD BE BETTER EMPLOYED ELSEWHERE…
There was more rushing wind, and then a splash.
The Rats Chamber was crowded. Guild leaders were entitled to be there, but there were plenty of other people who considered they had a right to be in at the death too. There were even some of the senior wizards. Everyone wanted to be able to say to their grandchildren ‘I was there.’[17]
‘I feel certain I ought to be wearing more chains,’ said Vetinari, as they paused in the doorway and looked at the assembled crowd.
‘Are you taking this seriously, sir?’ said Vimes.
‘Incredibly seriously, commander, I assure you. But if by some chance I survive, I authorize you to buy some shackles. We must learn to do this sort of thing properly.’
‘I shall keep them handy, I assure you.’
‘Good.’
The Patrician nodded at Lord Rust, who was flanked by Mr Boggis and Lord Downey.
‘Good morning,’ he said. ‘Can we make this quick? It’s going to be a busy day.’
‘It pleases you to continue to make Ankh-Morpork a laughing stock,’ Rust began. His glance flicked to Vimes for a moment, and wrote him out of the universe. ‘This is not a formal trial, Lord Vetinari. It is an arraignment so that the charges may be known. Mr Slant tells me that it will be many weeks before a full trial can be mounted.’
‘Expensive weeks no doubt. Shall we get on with it?’ said Vetinari.
‘Mr Slant will read the charges,’ said Rust. ‘But in a nutshell, as you are well aware, Havelock, you are charged with treason. You surrendered most ignobly—’
‘—but I did not—’
‘—and quite illegally waived all rights to our sovereignty of the country known as Leshp—’
‘—but there is no such place.’
Lord Rust paused. ‘Are you quite sane, sir?’
‘The surrender terms were to be ratified on the island of Leshp, Lord Rust. There is no such place.’
‘We passed it on the way here, man!’
‘Has anyone looked recently?’
Angua tapped Vimes on the shoulder.
‘A strange wave came up the river just after we arrived, sir—’
There was some urgent conversation among the wizards, and Archchancellor Ridcully stood up.
‘There seems to be a bit of a problem, your lordships. The Dean says it really isn’t there.’
‘It’s an island. Are you suggesting someone’s stolen it? Are you sure you know where it is, man?’
‘We do know where it is, and it isn’t there. There’s just a lot of seaweed and wreckage,’ said the Dean coldly. He stood up, holding a small crystal ball in his hands. ‘We’ve been watching it most evenings. For the fights, you know. Of course, the picture is pretty bad at this distance—’
Rust stared at him. But the Dean was too large to be written out of the scene.
‘But an entire island can’t just vanish,’ said Rust.
‘In theory they can’t just appear either, my lord, but this one did.’
‘Perhaps it’s sunk again,’ said Carrot.
Now Rust glared at Vetinari.
‘Did you know about this?’ he demanded.
‘How could I know something like that?’
Vimes watched the faces around the room.
‘You do know something about this!’ said Rust. He glanced towards Mr Slant, who was leafing hurriedly through a large volume.
‘All I know, my lord, is that Prince Cadram has, at a politically dangerous time for him, given up a huge military advantage in exchange for an island which seems to have sunk under the sea,’ said Lord Vetinari. ‘The Klatchians are a proud people. I wonder what they will think?’
And Vimes thought about General Ashal, standing beside Prince Cadram’s throne. Klatchians like successful leaders, he thought. I wonder what happens to the unsuccessful ones? I mean, look at what we do when we think—
Someone nudged him.
‘’s us, sir,’ said Nobby. ‘They said they didn’t have any hurdles but they do a ping-pong table for ten dollars. There’s a small trampoline we could drag him on but sarge thinks that’d be a bit ridiculous.’
Vimes walked out of the room, dragging Nobby with him, and pushed the little man against the wall.
‘Where did you get to with Vetinari, corporal? And remember I know when you tell me lies. Your lips move.’
‘We… we… we… just went on a little voyage, sir. He said I wasn’t to say we went under the island, sir!’
‘So you— Under Leshp?’
‘Nossir! We didn’t go down there! Stinking hole it was, too. Stunk of rotten eggs, the whole bloody cave, and as big as the city, believe me!’
‘I bet you’re glad you didn’t go, then.’
Nobby looked relieved. ‘That’s right, sir.’
Vimes sniffed. ‘Are you using some kind of aft—’ — he corrected himself — ‘some kind of insteadofshave, Nobby?’
17
Although of course wizards aren’t allowed to, because they’re not supposed to have grandchildren.