Thud! - Terry Pratchett [55]
“Troll,” she croaked. “Troll. Troll with skull belt and head-locks. On Slab, or something like it! Troll!” Angua was almost barking at the far door now. “Open the door! This way!”
She was barely needing her eyes now, but there on the metal of the door, in charcoal, someone had drawn a circle with two diagonal lines through it.
Suddenly Carrot was by her side. At least he had the decency not to say “Are you sure?” as he rattled the big wheel. The door was locked.
“I don’t think there’s water behind this,” he said.
“Oh, really?” Angua managed. “You know that was just…to keep us out!”
Carrot turned. Running toward them was a squad of dwarfs. They were heading for the door as though quite oblivious to the presence of the watchmen.
“Don’t let them go through first!” said Angua through gritted teeth. “Trail is…faint!”
Carrot drew his sword with one hand and held up his badge with the other.
“City Watch!” he roared. “Lower your weapons, please! Thank you!”
The squad slowed, which meant that, in the nature of these things, those at the back piled into the hesitant ones in front.
“This is a crime scene!” Carrot announced. “I am still the smelter! Mr. Ardent, are you there? Do you have guards on the other side of this door?”
Ardent pushed through the throng of dwarfs.
“No, I believe not,” he said. “Is the troll still behind it?”
Carrot glanced at Sally, who shrugged. Vampires had never developed the ability to listen for troll hearts. There was no point.
“Possibly, but I don’t think so,” said Carrot. “Please unlock it. We might yet find a trail!”
“Captain Carrot, you know that the safety of the mine must always come first!” said Ardent. “Of course you must give chase. But first we will open the door, and make certain there is no danger behind it. You must concede us that.”
“Let them,” hissed Angua. “It’ll be a clearer scent. I’ll be okay.”
Carrot nodded, and whispered back: “Well done!”
Under her flesh, she felt her tail want to wag. She wanted to lick his face. It was the dog part of her doing the thinking. You’re a good dog. It was important to be a good dog.
Carrot pulled her aside as a couple of dwarfs approached the door purposefully.
“But it’s long gone,” she murmured as two more dwarfs came up behind the first two. “The scent’s twelve hours old, at least—”
“What are they doing?” said Carrot, half to himself. The two new dwarfs were covered from head to toe in leather, like Ardent, but wore chain mail over the top of it; their helmets were quite unadorned, but covered the whole face and head, with only a slit for the eyes. Each dwarf carried a large black pack on his back and held a lance in front of him.
“Oh no,” said Carrot,” surely not here—”
At a word of command, the door was swung open, revealing only darkness beyond.
The lances spat flame, long yellow tongues of it, and the black dwarfs walked slowly along behind them. Smoke, heavy and greasy, filled the air.
Angua fainted.
Darkness.
Sam Vimes struggled up the hill, tired to the bone.
It was warm, warmer than he’d expected. Sweat stung his eyes. Water splashed under his feet and made his boots slip. And, ahead, up the slope, a child was screaming.
He knew he was shouting. He would hear the breath wheezing in his throat, could feel his lips moving, but he couldn’t hear the words he was reciting over and over again.
The darkness felt like cold ink. Tendrils of it dragged at his mind and his body, slowing him down, dragging him back…
And now they came at him with flames—
Vimes blinked, and found himself staring at the fireplace. The flames flicked peacefully.
There was the swish of a dress as Sybil came back into the room, sat down, and picked up her darning.
He watched her dully. She was darning his socks. They had maids in this place and she darned his socks. It wasn’t as if they didn’t have so much money that he could have