Vetinari was good at spotting patterns. Those tiny little actions that tried so hard to seem insignificant frequently earned a raised eyebrow, even while their perpetrators were convinced they'd got away with it.

He noticed that someone had visited the patent files and looked at a lot of seemingly unconnected inventions. A scholar, perhaps, interested in Ankh-Morpork's social history. Or perhaps she hadn't been interested in the automated floor-sweeper, the revolutionary doorstop slash ashtray or even the cup with two handles. Amongst the documented eccentricities of twenty men in sheds, she'd also asked to look at a schematic drawn by Leonard of Quirm.

Lord Vetinari had graduated from the School of Assassins. Those of his fellow students who had the habit of dismissing faintly suspicious signs had either learnt very quickly why doing so was a bad idea, or had indeed lost all opportunity of making such decisions ever again. Faintly suspicious signs were often all you got, and seeking out a Leonard of Quirm drawing - and trying to hide the fact - might be the only indication that woman would ever give that she was a Person of Interest. Not to the Watch, or not yet at least. But somewhere amongst the paperwork of the palace, he'd have one of his clerks make her a little folder.

Had the invention been obviously dangerous Vetinari would have had it removed from the library years ago, of course, but still... He might have missed something. He unrolled the plan, and tried to work out what she might be up to. Why would a young lady want to know about a 'chair-with-concealed-machinery-that-allows-a-tilting-and-trap-door-operation'?

It might, he reflected, be almost time to raise that eyebrow.

***

While Vetinari was reading, Captain Carrot was writing.

Dear Mumme and Dad,

Well we have some good news at laste! It looks as if the plague, may be over. There have beene no new cases for two weeks and we are all crossing our fingers that weve seen the last of them. It will be good to open the city walls again and of course it will be easier to send letters, although the Postmaster General has been very good in using his golems, to deliver the mail. It is a shame one crushed the dwarf bread you sent me but the shards are still good so no harm done.

Work has been mostly guarding the wall and stopping people coming and going. However we have a new case at the watch of a gentleman merchant who has disappeared and, we will be investigating it fully. I think it will be good for morale for the men to have something different to do, and my friend Nobby thinks that he may have left valuable assets behind which of course it is our duty to protect. I think we will have, a busy week!

Your (adopted) Son,

Carrot Ironfoundersson (Captain)

Carrot usually saved his wages conscientiously, but he felt that this time it would be acceptable to indulge in the extravagance of a Clacks message. He had, after all, dutifully put some of his money in the bank, and if one listened to Mr Dibbler's opinions about the desirability of the free movement of money it was practically a citizen's duty to spend a little extra here and there. Especially now, in these tricky economic times when Ankh-Morpork's quarantine had crippled the usual trading routes. Money had ceased flowing into the city and begun to flow out, and Carrot could do his bit to keep the city solvent. And he did want to contact Angua.

The extra speed would be worth the dollars, he decided.

angua[AT]uberwald[DOT]cmail : Plague possibly over Stop Missing you Comma your nose Comma would be handy in our latest case Stop Sincerely Captain Carrot Ironfoundersson