Part 49 (1/2)
And all control started with the self.
She stood up. They watched her with slightly worried yet friendly faces.
”My name, in the short form, is Lady Margolotta Amaya Katerina a.s.sumpta Cra.s.sina von Uberwald, and I am a vampire...”
They chorused: ”h.e.l.lo, Lady Margolotta Amaya Katerina a.s.sumpta Cra.s.sina von Uberwald!”
”It has been five years now,” said Lady Margolotta. ”And I am still taking one night at a time. One neck would always be one too many. But...there are compensations...”
There were no guards on the gate of Bonk, but there was a cl.u.s.ter of dwarfs outside the emba.s.sy as the cart slid to a halt. The wolves in the traces jerked nervously and whined at Angua.
”I'll have to let them go,” she said, getting out. ”They've only come this far because they're frightened of me...”
Vimes wasn't surprised. At the moment, anything would be frightened of Angua.
Even so, a squad of dwarfs was hurrying to the sledge.
It'd take them a few seconds to get a grip on things, Vimes realized. There were uptown guards here, and an Igor, and a werewolf. They'd be puzzled as well as suspicious. That should give him a tiny crack to lever open. And, ashamed as he was to say it, an arrogant b.a.s.t.a.r.d always had the edge.
He glared at the lead dwarf. ”What is your name?” he demanded.
”You are under-”
”You know the Scone of Stone was stolen?”
”You...what?”
Vimes reached around and pulled a sack out of the sleigh.
”Bring those torches closer!” he shouted, and because he delivered the command in a tone that said there was no doubt doubt that it'd be obeyed, it that it'd be obeyed, it was was obeyed. I've got twenty seconds, he thought, and then the magic goes away. obeyed. I've got twenty seconds, he thought, and then the magic goes away.
”Now look at this,” he said, lifting the thing out of the sack.
Several dwarfs fell to their knees. The murmuring spread out. Another howl, another rumor...in his current state he could see, in his mind's bloodshot eye, the towers in the night, clicking and clacking, delivering to Genua exactly exactly the message that had been sent from Ankh-Morpork. the message that had been sent from Ankh-Morpork.
”I want to take this to the king,” he said, in the hushed silence.
”We will take it-” the dwarf began, moving forward. will take it-” the dwarf began, moving forward.
Vimes stepped aside.
”Good evenin', boys,” said Detritus, standing up in the sleigh.
The tortured noises the bow's springs were making under their preternatural stress sounded like some metal animal in extreme pain. The dwarf was a couple of feet away from several dozen arrow points.
”On the other other hand,” said Vimes, ”we could continue talking. You look like a dwarf who likes to talk.” hand,” said Vimes, ”we could continue talking. You look like a dwarf who likes to talk.”
The dwarf nodded.
”First of all, is there any reason why the two wounded men I have here couldn't be taken inside before they die of their wounds?”
The bow twitched in Detritus's hands.
The dwarf nodded.
”They can go inside and be treated?” said Vimes.
The dwarf nodded again, still looking into a bundle of arrows bigger than his head.
”Capital. See how we get on when we simply talk? And now now I suggest that you arrest me.” I suggest that you arrest me.”
”You want want me to arrest you?” me to arrest you?”
”Yes. And Lady Sybil. We place ourselves under your personal jurisdiction.”
”That's right,” said Sybil. ”I demand to be arrested.” She drew herself up and out, righteous indignation radiating like a bonfire, causing the dwarfs to back away from what was clearly an unexploded bosom.
”And since the arrest of its amba.s.sador will certainly cause...difficulties with Ankh-Morpork,” Vimes went on, ”I strongly suggest you take us directly to the king.”
By blessed chance, the distant tower sent up another flare. Green light illuminated the snows for a moment.
”What's that mean?” said the dwarf captain.
”It means that Ankh-Morpork knows what's going on,” said Vimes, praying that it did. ”And I don't reckon you want to be the dwarf who started the war.”
The dwarf spoke to the dwarf beside him. A third dwarf joined them. Vimes couldn't follow the hurried conversation, but right behind him Cheery whispered: ”It's a bit beyond him. He doesn't want anything to happen to the Stone.”
”Good.”
The dwarf turned back to Vimes.
”What about the troll?”
”Oh, Detritus will stay in the emba.s.sy,” said Vimes.
This seemed to lighten the tone of the debate somewhat, but it still appeared to be heavy going.
”What's happening now?” whispered Vimes.
”There's no precedent for anything like this,” muttered Cheery. ”You're supposed to be an a.s.sa.s.sin, but you've come back to see the king and you've got the Scone-”
”No precedent?” said Sybil. ”Yes there b.l.o.o.d.y well is, pardon my Klatchian...”
She took a deep breath, and began to sing.