tp.guards!guards!-第29部分

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　One　or　two　of　them　gave　her　a　brief　glance；　and　then　went　back　to　their。。。
　What？　They　didn't　seem　to　be　frightened。　Just　very；　very　attentive。　It　was　like　a　vigil。　They　were　waiting　for　something　to　happen。
　The　thunder　muttered　again。
　A　couple　of　minutes　later　she　was　on　her　way　down　into　the　damp　city。
　
　　。。。
　　
　There　are　some　songs　which　are　never　sung　sober。　〃Nellie　Dean〃　is　one。　So　is　any　song　beginning　〃As　I　was　a　walking　。。。〃　In　the　area　around　Ankh…Morpork；　the　favoured　air　is　〃A　Wizard's　Staff　Has　A　Knob　On　The　End〃。
　The　rank　were　drunk。　At　least；　two　out　of　three　of　the　rank　were　drunk。　Carrot　had　been　persuaded　to　try　a　shandy　and　hadn't　liked　it　much。　He　didn't　know　all　the　words；　either；　and　many　of　the　ones　he　did　know　he　didn't　understand。
　〃Oh；　I　see；〃　he　said　eventually。　〃It's　a　sort　of　humorous　play　on　words；　is　it？〃
　〃You　know；〃　said　Colon　wistfully；　peering　into　the　thickening　mists　rolling　in　off　the　Ankh；　〃s'at　times　like　this　I　wish　old…〃
　〃You're　not　to　say　it；〃　said　Nobby；　swaying　a　little。　〃You　agreed；　we　wouldn't　say　nothing；　it's　no　good　talking　about　it。〃
　〃It　was　his　favourite　song；〃　said　Colon　sadly。　〃He　was　a　good　light　tenor。〃
　〃Now；　Sarge…〃
　〃He　was　a　righteous　man；　our　Gaskin；〃　said　Colon。
　〃We　couldn't　of　helped　it；〃　said　Nobby　sulkily。
　〃We　could　have；〃　said　Colon。　〃We　could　have　run　faster。〃
　〃What　happened；　then？〃　said　Carrot。
　〃He　died；〃　said　Nobby；　〃in　the　hexecution　of　his　duty。〃
　〃I　told　him；〃　said　Colon；　taking　a　swig　at　the　bottle　they　had　brought　along　to　see　them　through　the　night；　〃I　told　him。　Slow　down；　I　said。　You'll　do　yourself　a　mischief；　I　said。　I　don't　know　what　got　into　him；　running　ahead　like　that。〃
　〃I　blame　the　Thieves'　Guild；〃　said　Nobby。　〃Allowing　people　like　that　on　the　streets。。。〃
　〃There　was　this　bloke　we　saw　done　a　robbery　one　night；〃　said　Colon　miserably。　〃Right　in　front　of　us！　And　Captain　Vimes；　he　said　e　On；　and　we　run；　only　the　point　is　you　shouldn't　run　too　fast；　see。　Else　you　might　catch　them。　Leads　to　all　sorts　of　problems；　catching　people。。。〃
　〃They　don't　like　it；〃　said　Nobby。　There　was　a　mutter　of　thunder；　and　a　flurry　of　rain。
　〃They　don't　like　it；〃　agreed　Colon。　〃But　Gaskin　went　and　forgot；　he　ran　on；　went　around　the　corner　and；　well；　this　bloke　had　a　couple　of　mates　waiting。。。〃
　〃It　was　his　heart　really；〃　said　Nobby。
　〃Well。　Anyway。　And　there　he　was；〃　said　Colon。　〃Captain　Vimes　was　very　upset　about　it。　You　shouldn't　run　fast　in　the　Watch；　lad；〃　he　said　solemnly。　〃You　can　be　a　fast　guard　or　you　can　be　an　old　guard；　but　you　can't　be　a　fast　old　guard。　Poor　old　Gaskin。''
　〃It　didn't　ought　to　be　like　that；〃　said　Carrot。
　Colon　took　a　pull　at　the　bottle。
　〃Well；　it　is；〃　he　said。　Rain　bounced　on　his　helmet　and　trickled　down　his　face。
　〃But　it　didn't　ought　to　be；〃　said　Carrot　flatly。
　〃But　it　is；〃　said　Colon。
　　
　。。。
　　
　Someone　else　in　the　city　was　also　ill　at　ease。　He　was　the　Librarian。
　Sergeant　Colon　had　given　him　a　badge。　The　Librarian　turned　it　round　and　round　in　his　big　gentle　hands；　nibbling　at　it。
　It　wasn't　that　the　city　suddenly　had　a　king。　Orangs　are　traditionalists；　and　you　couldn't　get　more　traditional　than　a　king。　But　they　also　liked　things　neat；　and　things　weren't　neat。　Or；　rather；　they　were　too　neat。　Truth　and　reality　were　never　as　neat　as　this。　Sudden　heirs　to　ancient　thrones　didn't　grow　on　trees；　and　he　should　know。
　Besides；　no　one　was　looking　for　his　book。　That　was　human　priorities　for　you。
　The　book　was　the　key　to　it。　He　was　sure　of　that。　Well；　there　was　one　way　to　find　out　what　was　in　the　book。　It　was　a　perilous　way；　but　the　Librarian　ambled　along　perilous　ways　all　day。
　In　the　silence　of　the　sleeping　library　he　opened　his　desk　and　removed　from　its　deepest　recesses　a　small　lantern　carefully　built　to　prevent　any　naked　flame　being　exposed。　You　couldn't　be　too　careful　with　all　this　paper　around　。　。　。
　He　also　took　a　bag　of　peanuts　and；　after　some　thought；　a　large　ball　of　string。　He　bit　off　a　short　length　of　the　string　and　used　it…to　tie　the　badge　around　his　neck；　like　a　talisman。　Then　he　tied　one　end　of　the　ball　to　the　desk　and；　after　a　moment's　contemplation；　knuckled　off　between　the　bookshelves；　paying　out　the　string　behind　him。
　Knowledge　equals　power。　。　。
　The　string　was　important。　After　a　while　the　Librarian　stopped。　He　concentrated　all　his　powers　of　librarianship。
　Power　equals　energy　。　。　。
　People　were　stupid；　sometimes。　They　thought　the　Library　was　a　dangerous　place　because　of　all　the　magical　books；　which　was　true　enough；　but　what　made　it　really　one　of　the　most　dangerous　places　there　could　ever　be　was　the　simple　fact　that　it　was　a　library。
　Energy　equals　matter。　。　。　。
　He　swung　into　an　avenue　of　shelving　that　was　apparently　a　few　feet　long　and　walked　along　it　briskly　for　half　an　hour。
　Matter　equals　mass。
　And　mass　distorts　space。　It　distorts　it　into　poly…fractal　L…space。
　So；　while　the　Dewey　system　has　its　fine　points；　when　you're　setting　out　to　look　something　up　in　the　multidimensional　folds　of　L…space　what　you　really　need　is　a　ball　of　string。
　　
　。。。
　　
　Now　the　rain　was　trying　hard。　It　glistened　off　the　flagstones　in　the　Plaza　of　Broken　Moons；　littered　here　and　there　with　torn　bunting；　flags；　broken　bottles　and　the　occasional　regurgitated　supper。　There　was　still　plenty　of　thunder　about；　and　a　green；　fresh　smell　in　the　air。　A　few　shreds　of　mist　from　the　Ankh　hovered　over　the　stones。　It　would　be　dawn　soon。
　Vimes's　footsteps　echoed　wetly　from　the　surrounding　buildings　as　he　picked　his　way　across　the　plaza。　The　boy　had　stood　here。
　He　peered　through　the　mist　shreds　at　the　surrounding　buildings；　getting　his　bearings。　So　the　dragon　had　been　hovering…he　paced　forward…here。
　〃And；〃　said　Vimes；　〃this　is　where　it　was　killed。〃
　He　fumbled　in　his　pockets。　There　were　all　sorts　of　things　in　there　…　keys；　bits　of　string；　corks。　His　finger　closed　on　a　stub　end　of　chalk。
　He　knelt　down。　Errol　jumped　off　his　shoulder　and　waddled　away　to　inspect　the　detritus　of　the　celebration。　He　always　sniffed　everything　before　he　ate　it；　Vimes　noticed。　It　was　a　bit　of　a　puzzle　why　he　bothered；　because　he　always　ate　it　anyway。
　Its　head　had　been　about；　let's　see；　here。
　He　walked　backwards；　dragging　the　chalk　over　the　stones；　progressing　slowly　over　the　damp；　empty　square　like　an　ancient　worshipper　treading　a　maze。　Here　a　wing；　curving　away　towards　a　tail　which　stretched　out　to　here；　change　hands；　now　head　for　the　other　wing　。　。　。
　When　he　finished　he　walked　to　the　centre　of　the　outline　and　ran　his　hands　over　the　stones。　He　realized　he　was　half…expecting　them　to　be　warm。
　Surely　there　should　be　something。　Some；　oh；　he　didn't　know；　some　grease　or　something；　some　crispy　fried　dragon　lumps。　Errol　started　eating　a　broken　bottle　with　every　sign　of　enjoyment。　〃You　know　what　I　think？〃　said　Vimes。　〃I　think　it　went　somewhere。〃
　Thunder　rolled　again。
　〃All　right；　all　right；〃　muttered　Vimes。　〃It　was　just　a　thought。　It　wasn't　that　dramatic。〃
　Errol　stopped　in　mid…crunch。
　Very　slowly；　as　though　it　was　mounted　on　very　smooth；　well…oiled　bearings；　the　dragon's　head　turned　to　face　upwards。
　What　it　was　staring　at　intently　was　a　patch　of　empty　air。　There　wasn't　much　else　you　could　say　about　it。
　Vimes　shivered　under　his　cape。　This　was　daft。
　〃Look；　don't　muck　about；〃　he　said；　〃there's　nothing　there。〃
　Errol　started　to　tremble。
　〃It's　just　the　rain；〃　said　Vimes。　〃Go　on；　finish　your　bottle。　Nice　bottle。〃
　A　thin；　worried　keening　noise　broke　from　the　dragon's　mouth。
　〃I'll　show　you；〃　said　Vimes。　He　cast　around　and　spotted　one　of　Throat's　sausages；　cast　aside　by　a　hungry　reveller　who　had　decided　he　was　never　going　to　be　that　hungry。　He　picked　it　up。
　〃Look；〃　he　said；　and　threw　it　upwards。
　He　felt　sure；　watching　its　trajectory；　that　it　ought　to　have　fallen　back　to　the　ground。　It　shouldn't　have　fallen　away；　as　if　he'd　dropped　it　neatly　into　a　tunnel　in　the　sky。　And　the　tunnel　shouldn't　have　been　looking　back　at　him。
　Vivid　purple　lightning　lashed　from　the　empty　air　and　struck　the　houses　on　the　near　side　of　the　plaza；　skittering　across　the　walls　for　several　yards　before　sinking　out　with　a　suddenness　that　almost　denied　that　it　had　ever　happened　at　all。
　Then　it　erupted　again；　this　time　hitting　the　rim　ward　wall。　The　light　broke　where　it　hit　into　a　network　of　searching　tendrils　spreading　across　the　stones。
　The　third　attempt　went　upwards；　forming　an　actinic　column　that　eventually　rose　fifty　or　sixty　feet　in　the　air；　appeared　to　stabilize；　and　started　to　spin　slowly。
　Vimes　felt　that　a　ment　was　called　for。　He　said：　〃Arrgh。〃
　As　the　light　revolved　it　sent　out　thin　zigzag　streamers　that　jittered　away　across　the　rooftops；　sometimes　dipping；　sometimes　doubling　back。　Searching。
　Errol　ran　up　Vimes's　back　in　a　flurry　of　claws　and　fastened　himself　firmly　on　his　shoulder。　The　excruciating　agony　recalled　to　Vimes　that　there　was　something　he　should　be　doing。　Was　it　time　to　scream　again？　He　tried　another　〃Arrgh〃。　No；　probably　not。
　The　air　started　to　smell　like　burning　tin。
　Lady　Ramkin's　coach　rattled　into　the　plaza　making　a　noise　like　a　roulette　wheel　and　pounded　straight　for　Vimes；　stopping　in　a　skid　that　sent　it　juddering　around　hi　a　semicircle　and　forced　the　horses　either　to　face　the　other　way　or　plait　their　legs。　A　furious　vision　in　padded　leather；　gauntlets；　tiara　and　thirty　yards　of　damp　pink　tulle　leaned　down　towards　him　and　screamed：　〃e　on；　you　bloody　idiot！〃
　One　glove　caught　him　under　his　unresisting　shoulder　and　hauled　him　bodily　on　to　the　box。
　〃And　stop　screaming！''　the　phantom　ordered；　focusing　generations　of　natural　authority　into　four　syllables。　Another　shout　spurred　the　horses　from　a　bewildered　standing　start　to　a　full　gallop。
　The　coach　bounced　away　over　the　flagstones。　An　exploratory　tendril　of　flickering　light　brushed　the　reins　for　a　moment　and　then　lost　interest。
　〃I　suppose　you　haven't　got　any　idea　what's　happening？〃　shouted　Vimes；　against　the　crackling　of　the　spinning　fire。
　〃Not　the　foggiest！〃
　The　crawling　lines　spread　like　a　web　over　the　city；　growing　fainter　with　distance。　Vimes　imagined　them　creeping　through　windows　and　sneaking　under　doors。
　〃It　looks　as　though　it's　searching　for　something！〃　he　sho