Thud! - Terry Pratchett [141]
“I thought the artist knew no Dwarfish,” said the king.
“He didn’t, but he spoke fluent Chicken,” said Vimes. “I’ll explain later…”
“Captain, fetch the grags,” the king snapped. “The prisoners, too, even the trolls. All shall hear this!”
The metal seemed to be moving over Vimes’s skin. Some of the green and blue squares rose slightly proud of the rest of the metal.
The box began to speak. There was a crackle that sounded like Dwarfish, although Vimes couldn’t make out a single word. It was followed by a couple of loud knocking noises.
“Second Convocation Hubland Dwarfish,” said Bashfullsson. “That would be right for the time. Whoever is speaking has just said: ‘Art thys thyng workyng?’ ”
The voice spoke again. As the cracked, old syllables unrolled, Bashfullsson went on: “ ‘The first thyng Tak did, he wroten hymself; the second thyng Tak did, he wroten the Laws; the thyrd thyng Tak did, he wroten the World; the fourth thyng Tak did, he wroten ay cave; the fyfth thyng Tak did, he wroten a geode, ay egge of stone; and in the gloamyn of the mouth of the cave, the geode hatched and the Brothers were born; the first Brother walked toward the light, and stood under the open sky—’ ”
“This is just the story of the Things Tak Wrote,” Cheery whispered to Vimes. Vimes shrugged, and watched as some of the bodyguards hustled the old grags in the circle, Ardent among them.
“It’s not new or anything?” Vimes said, disappointed.
“Every dwarf knows it, sir.”
“‘—He was the first Dwarf,’” Bashfullsson translated. “‘He found the Laws Tak had wrytten, and he was endarkened—’”
The crackling voice went on, and then Bashfullsson, who had his eyes closed in concentration, opened them in shock. This time, he didn’t bother with olde-world language.
“…uh…‘Then Tak looked upon the stone and it was trying to come alive, and Tak smiled and wroten: “all thyngs strive,”’” said the dwarf, raising his voice above the growing commotion around him. “ ‘And for the service the stone had given, he fashioned it into the first Troll, and delighted in the life that came unbidden. These are the thyngs that Tak Wroten!’ ” He was shouting now, because of the noise level.
Vimes felt like an outsider. It seemed that everyone except him was arguing. Axes were being flourished.
“‘I WHO SPEAK TO YOU NOW AM B’HRIAN BLOOD-AXE, BY RIGHT OF THE SCONE THE TRUE KING OF THE DWARFS!’” Bashfullsson screamed.
The cave went silent, except for the echoing scream returning from distant darkness.
“‘We were washed into the caves by the flood. We sought one another, voices in the dark. We are dying. Our bodies are broken by the terrible water with teeth…of stone. We are too weak to climb. Water surrounds all. This testament we will entrust to young Stronginthearm, who is still nimble, in the hope that it will reach the daylight. For the story of this day must not be forgotten. This outcome was not meant! We came to sign a treaty! It was the secret, careful work of many years!’”
The box stopped speaking. But there were faint groans, and the rush of water somewhere.
“Sire, I demand that this should not be heard!” shouted Ardent among the grags. “It is nothing but lies upon lies. There is no truth in it! What proof is there that this is the voice of Bloodaxe?”
Captain Gud is looking a bit uncertain, Vimes thought. The king’s bodyguard? Well, they mostly looked like the stolid kind who stayed loyal and didn’t pay much attention to politics. The miners? Angry and confused because the old grags are yelling. This is going to go bad really fast.
“City Watch, to me!” he shouted.
The background noises from the cube died, and another voice started to speak. Detritus looked up quickly.
“Dat’s Old Troll!” he said.
Bashfullsson hesitated for a moment. “‘…er…I am Diamond King of Trolls,’” he said, looking desperately at Vimes. “ ‘Indeed, we came to make peace. But the mist came down upon us and when it rose, some trolls and dwarfs cried, “Ambush!” They fell to fighting and would not hear our