A/N This is my first Discworld fanfiction. I always wanted to write about the meeting of the amazing Maurice and Gaspode. Hope you enjoy!
In the streets of the sprawling city of Ankh-Morpork several important things were happening. In the guild of assassins a new apprentice was receiving the knife which would kill the king of Klatch, on the streets outside the beggars guild foul ole' Ron had just bought one of cut me own throat Dibblers sausages inna bun, in the city watch Vimes had just lost the report he had been working on for hours in the disaster zone that was his desk. And in a fairly typical street in the shades a filthy mongrel was about to get the biggest shock of his life.
Gaspode was down on his luck. Sausages seemed to have vanished from the twin cities and begging was becoming increasingly fruitless. The only way to get food in his current state was the use the Power, and for that you really needed to find someone with food on them.
With a grunt Gaspode pushed over the interesting looking crate, was that kippers he smelt? There was no point wishing for things to improve, what you had to do was go and do something about it. For example go and wind up Angua until she gave him food to go away. Just thinking about it brought a doggy grin to his scarred and flea bitten face.
With a clatter the crate tipped over and a heap of slimy rotten fish spilt out. Gaspode dug in.
Midway through his meal Gaspode sensed he was being watched. Glancing up he spied a stray cat at least as battered as he was. The animal's ears were mere stumps and he looked tough. Gaspode gulped, this cat looked like a survivor and he did not want to get into a fight. On the other paw he did not want to lose the only decent meal he'd found in days. Only one choice really, use the Power.
"You want to leave the doggie to his food, don't you? You want to turn around and wander off. Go on, Scat." With a pleased feeling Gaspode went back to his meal. Never failed did it? He glanced up again; the stupid cat was still there!
"Go on leave me alone!" The cat regarded him calmly.
"No." He said.
Gaspode almost had a heart attack. This cat had just talked! No other animal did that! None! Animals could only talk to their own species which was why you could use the Power on other animals and humans but not your own kind. This mangy cat couldn't have talked, could it?
"What did you say?" He whimpered in shock.
"I said no. Now gimmie some fish."
The cat and dog stared at one another. Gaspode broke the silence first.
"When did you learn to do that?"
"Wizards. Blame the wizards. You too?"
"Yep. Comes in handy though."
"Nah. They hear me, think their going insane, but they hear me."
"Ha. They don't hear me! I can influence them." Gaspode sounded rather smug about this. Then the cat grinned.
"Wanna make some money?"
"Is there a chance for food?"
"Course!"
The two sauntered down the ally. The cat looked up at Gaspode.
"I'm Maurice. What's your name?"
"Gaspode."
And the discworlds second most successful animal partnership was formed. No shopkeeper or street vender was safe from the two of them!