Part 46 (2/2)
”I can hear hooves,” said someone.
”Oh, yeah, like our friend in the fez is getting the donkey down the stairs?”
”Hang on, I can hear them, too,” said Colon.
Now all eyes stared at the door.
Lord Vetinari emerged, holding a length of rope.
The voice behind Colon said, ”All right, it's just a bit of rope. He was probably banging a couple of coconut sh.e.l.ls together.”
”You mean, ones that he found in the minaret?”
”He had them with him, obviously.”
”You mean, he carries coconut sh.e.l.ls around?”
”You can't turn turn a donkey round in-All right, that's a fake donkey head...” a donkey round in-All right, that's a fake donkey head...”
”It's moving its ears!”
”On a string, on a string-all right, it's a donkey, okay, but it's not the same same donkey. It's one he had in a hidden pocket...well, no need to look at me like that. I've seen them do it with doves...” donkey. It's one he had in a hidden pocket...well, no need to look at me like that. I've seen them do it with doves...”
Then even the unbeliever fell silent.
”Donkey, minaret,” said Lord Vetinari. ”Minaret, donkey.”
”Just like that?” said a guard. ”How did you do it? It was a trick, right?”
”Of course it was a trick,” said Lord Vetinari.
”I knew knew it was just a trick.” it was just a trick.”
”That's right, it was just a trick,” said Lord Vetinari.
”So...how did you do it, then?”
”You mean you can't spot it?”
The crowd craned to see.
”Er...you had an inflatable donkey-”
”Can you think of any reason why I should go around with an inflatable donkey?”
”Well, you-”
”One that you wouldn't mind explaining to your own dear mother?”
”If you're going to put it like that-”
”'s easy,” said Al-jibla. ”There's a secret compartment in the minaret. Must be.”
”No, you've got it all wrong, it's just an illusion illusion of a donkey...Well, all right, it's a of a donkey...Well, all right, it's a good good illusion...” illusion...”
By now half the people were around the donkey and the others were cl.u.s.tered in the doorway of the minaret, looking for secret panels.
”I think, Al and Beti, this is where we walk away,” said Lord Vetinari, behind Colon. ”Just down this little alley here. And when we turn that corner, we run.”
”What've we got to run for?” said Beti.
”Because I've just picked up the magic carpet.”
Vimes was already lost. Oh, there was the sun, but that was just a direction direction. He could feel it on the side of his face.
And the camel rocked from side to side. There was no real way of judging distance, except by hemorrhoids.
I'm blindfolded on the back of a camel ridden by a D'reg, who everyone says are the most untrustworthy people in the world. But I'm almost positive he's not going to kill me.
”So,” he said, as he rocked gently from side to side, ”you may as well tell me. Why 71-hour Ahmed?”
”He killed a man,” said Jabbar.
”And D'regs object to a little thing like that?”
”In the man's own tent! When he had been his guest for nearly tree dace! If he had but waited an hour-”
”Oh, I see see. Definitely bad manners. Had the man done anything to deserve it?”
”Nothing! Although...”
”Yes?”
”The man had had killed El-Ysa.” The D'reg's tone suggested that this wasn't much of a mitigating circ.u.mstance, but that it ought to be mentioned out of completeness. killed El-Ysa.” The D'reg's tone suggested that this wasn't much of a mitigating circ.u.mstance, but that it ought to be mentioned out of completeness.
”Who was she?”
”El-Ysa was a village. He poisoned a well. There had been a dispute over religion,” he added. ”One thing led to another...but even so, to break the tradition of hospitality...”
”Yes, I can see that's a terrible thing. Almost...impolite.”
”The hour was important. Some things should not be done.”
”You're right there, at least.”
<script>