Disclaimer: I really have to repeat ? Oh, it's illegal if I don't ? OK then... Discworld is the property of Terry Pratchett, Watchmen is the property of Alan Moore, and of course I don't get money for this.
But Fredson, Grey Wolf and the black and yellow Phantasm are mine, even if they strangely look familiar to you.
Sorry readers, I've just noticed I've misspelled Ankh-Morpork all along, I know it has taken me quite some time, so from this moment I will not make the mistake any more.
And sorry I've been so long to update it, hope you'll enjoy, and please tell me what you think about it.
Chapter 7: Fearful symmetry
"Remember me ?"
A man had just popped out a street, a hateful look on his face, he faced Rorschach, the first thug they met this night, good.
"Yes."
He had broken his fingers the night he arrived on the Discworld.
"I remember you very well too, and I'm not the only one. Many others lads remember you and Stain-face, and a little of the two others. You've taken most of our pals ya know ? It was already not easy with the Watch but masked freaks, that's the last straw. Normally we don't fight together, but for you, we made an exception."
"What's going on ?" muttered Grey Wolf to his partners. "He hasn't hurt the guy yet."
They shrugged, they didn't understand too.
In fact, the only reason why the man was still unharmed was curiosity: the vigilante was not used to see a scum losing time talking to him.
"'Til now," continued the man. "You've only fought little groups of, what ? Twenty guys maybe at the most. But what will you do against, let's say, the double ? Show yourselves guys !"
The costumed-heroes soon were surrounded by the gang.
·][·
On a roof was a man with a mini crossbow fixed on his left arm, he loaded a bolt in, then aimed it at his target down there, more precisely at the back of his target. It indeed wasn't a quite elegant method but after all this Rorschach was everything but a gentleman. But he missed him and the bolt fell right at the feet of the vigilante, followed shortly after by the sniper.
·][·
A man wearing an elegant black suit of the kind you don't wear in the Shades was lying down, his face against the ground, a brick was near his head, most certainly responsible for his bump on the forehead.
Someone yelled and a red figure fell just near the man and picked himself up moaning.
"Rincewind ? What are you doing here ?"
"He was about to shot you, I threw this at his head !" the wizard answered showing the brick
"Rorschach..."
"Go away ! Too dangerous for you."
"I would like. Really," he answered shaking with fear
"RORSCHACH !" repeated the Phantasm. "Sorry to interrupt but I must remind you that we have other problems !"
The thugs, surprised by the apparition of Rincewind, were still here and armed.
·][·
"OK, show's over. Attack !" shouted their leader
"I don't feel quite good to fight..." said one man
"What !"
"Well, they have a wizard with them," added another one
"Yeah, it's unfair."
Fredson turned towards Rincewind, still against the wall, wondering why the hell he had followed that crazy masked man, and unable to do what he did the best: run away, since he was surrounded.
"Hey, wizard !"
"Me ?"
"'Course you ! Do you see another guy with a pointed hat here ?"
"With "wizzard" on it, in addition," added the costumed-heroine
"Shut up, why don't you throw fireballs at them, change them into frogs..."
"That's a witch's thing, Fredson."
"Shut up, Phantasm ! Just do something, anything !"
"I can't do magic !" gulped the wizard
Silence fell for a few minutes, the leader of thugs broke it:
"You heard that, boys ? These morons picked the only wizard who can't do magic ! Feel better now ? So charge them !"
The fight had only begun when suddenly something jumped from the roof, vigilantes and thugs saw that the thing in question was a big chest with numerous little human legs. The heroes quickly understood that this monstrosity attacked only the thugs (1)... and it had already... eaten. Yes, "eaten" seemed to be the appropriated word since the chest's lid raised up, showing big white teeth and a big red tongue, then it closed once the unfortunate prey inside. The fight was then suspended and the few lucky thugs who hadn't been beaten by the vigilantes or eaten by the monstrous chest yet surrendered to the heroes.
"Rincewind, what is this ?" asked Rorschach pointing a finger at the Luggage which had just passed its tongue on what could be called its "lips".
"The Luggage, probably the most aggressive suitcase on the Disc."
"It's yours ?"
"It was offered to me a long time ago, it's following me for a long time and he has never never hurt me, so I guess we can say that."
The Luggage just noticed the thugs hidden behind the vigilantes and headed towards them.
"So, he's obeying to you ?"
The question had been asked by one the thugs who surrendered, a large man who was cowering.
"Sometimes."
"Can you tell him to stop eating us ? We prefer anything, even the nutcase who breaks fingers to this, please help us !"
"Alright, I'll try."
He came towards the Luggage who was about to swallow its twentieth thug.
"Stop it, stop it immediately ! It's been into the Shades, you know how filthy it is here ? So let him go."
The Luggage hesitated a few minutes, then spat out the man, who ran away from the homicidal suitcase quickly.
While the survivors let themselves being bounded and even asked insistently to be, Rorschach and Rincewind were talking.
"You followed us all these nights ? Thought you were sleeping."
"True, I didn't follow you the first time you went out, then I did it remaining hidden. The Luggage intervened two or three times. You understand, if you're alone outside, I'll have to face the Patrician, and I really don't want that to happen."
"You've been useful earlier with the assassin."
It didn't sounded like thanks, more like a statement.
"I was behind this man and he was aiming at you, so I threw at him the first thing I found. Looked like an assassin from the Guild."
"Got to question him then."
But he only found the brick thrown by Rincewind, not the assassin
·][·
The commissioner Vimes accompanied by the captain Carrot, sergeants Angua and Detritus, corporal Nobbs and others Watchmen arrived soon after to arrest the criminals.
"So you arrested this new gang ? Good work !" congratulated captain Carrot. "But I've heard they were more numerous..."
"The walking chest ate most of them."
They all looked to the Luggage, now following Rincewind like a big threatening dog.
"Well, it will still make two gangs in jail tonight," said Vimes
"Another gang arrested, which one ?" the black and white face man asked
Rorschach had become more and more familiar with the criminal underworld of the city, especially the Shades, mostly thanks to Fredson who knew almost every gangs' names, though he refused to tell him how he knew all that, even if he still didn't know it as well as New York's criminal underworld.
"Dealers from the Red Hand caught red handed, the whole gang arrested if we include the two dealers you've let us last weak."
"Would have preferred the whole gang, you've just done faster than us."
It wasn't the first time he met the commissioner and others watchmen after he had been arrested, he saw them or when they arrested criminals, or after he and the youngsters had taken care of them, they even sometimes arrested criminals together.
The vigilante and the commissioner were not friends but they kind of respected each other, despise the man's brutality sometimes unnecessary towards criminals, Vimes saw him as efficient, and Rorschach had to admit seeing Vimes and most of the watchmen, Carrot included, even if it was harder for him to admit since he still bear him the grudge for the voice-trick, were good cops, very good cops for some. They were nothing like the cops he was used to in New-York: at the best, incompetent and weak, at the worst corrupted, even less worthy than the scum they were supposed to fight, or more interested in papers than street-job, which was clearly not the case of Samuel Vimes who hated paperwork and chased criminals as much as he could. The only exception were Colon and Nobby, both incompetent, except when they were on traffic duty and fined people, but at least they were not corrupted or acting like criminals, even if it was less sure for Nobby... Still, they remained weak for him: didn't beat criminals enough for most of them.
"Rorschach ? Hey !"
It was the Silk... rectification, he Phantasm who had just arrived behind him, he looked back and grabbed her arm: she had briefly put a finger on his shoulder.
"Don't do that again." He released her. "What do you want ?"
"You really don't like being touched, do you ?" noticed Vimes
"Looks like the only human contact he accepts is fight," said the young girl looking daggers at Rorschach. "I called you three times but you didn't react, I had to tell you somehow. I wanted to know if anyone had seen Fredson and Grey Wolf, they are missing."
They heard a tearing yell followed by "OhcrapOhcrapOhcrap..."
Watchmen (2), masks, wizard and walking chest ran towards the alleyway from where the screams came.
There, they found Fredson, knelled, the head in his hands muttering over and over '"Oh crapOhcrapOhcrap...Can't believe I did it...", near him lied the man in black, with a face now covered with bruises, that Rincewind had knocked out, who was moaning, Rorschach noticed he had two broken fingers.
"I confess, I confess ! The family of the honorable De Mort and the Thieves Guild paid me to kill that man and I paid these men to distract the target
"De Mort ?" asked the Phantasm
"The assassin Rorschach almost killed when he arrived in town," explained Vimes
"Fredson, are you okay ?" asked the Phantasm putting her hand on his shoulder. She may not like his partner, he was in shock and she really had pity for him at that moment. "Why did you break his fingers ?"
"Obviously to make the assassin squeal," said Nobby
"I thought so, thank you. I just meant why interrogate him by breaking fingers."
"Don't know... Shit ! I've never done something like that... never !... was stronger than me. Before I found this guy begging me not to break another finger it was a blur, I didn't remember doing that !"
She picked up Fredson, who was calmer now, while Rorschach was about to finish what the younger mask had begun.
"Stop it," said Vimes. "There's better things to do them than breaking fingers, I can tell you."
The psychopathic vigilante, curious, asked for more and Vimes told him about what he did to assassins years ago when they were really attempting to kill him. He decided it could be worth a try since the commissioner ensured him that there was nothing more important to an assassin than honor, so humiliation was worst than anything.
"What do you propose for this one ?"
"You'll see tomorrow at the Patrician's Palace."
·][·
The vigilantes and the wizard had just left, the watchmen and their prisoner were about to do the same.
"Are you coming Angua ?"
She didn't move: she had smelt something familiar.
"Did you smell something ?"
"Maybe Carrot, maybe. We can go now."
The smell seemed familiar, but she couldn't be sure with all these parasite-smells, she would follow it next time to check if it really was what she thought.
·][·
Rincewind and Rorschach, followed by the Luggage, headed towards the Unseen University, Fredson and the Phantasm had gone back home and Grey Wolf didn't reappeared, which was worrying.
"They look like these people from the Roundworld you've talked about in a really odd way ? Did you talk about it to Ridcully and the others ?"
"Have tried, they didn't listen. Will try again."
The situation was getting disturbing, weirder, especially concerning Fredson: the kid has used his interrogation method but wasn't conscious of his actions, how can these kids look so much like him and his former colleagues ? And why the one looking like him seemed to be the more affected ? He had to see these crazy wizards again, he needed answers. If they listened maybe he could get some...
·][·
The day after, Rorschach, determined to have a conversation with the wizards, headed towards the place the wizards were taking their tea at five o'clock.
"Archchancelor ?"
Well, well, Rorschach was talking to them ? Usually the man was doing his best to avoid them, what could he want from them ?
"What can I do for you, Rorschach ? Tea ?"
"No."
He sat, lifted up his mask until the nose and grabbed the sugar bowl, he was obviously not interested in tea.
"Remember when I talk about my colleagues ?"
"The Roundworld's watchmen who are not exactly like our watchmen ?" asked Stibbons
The Dean and the Senior Wrangler wondered what the heck they were talking about, which could be understood since the only ones around this table who were aware of Rorschach's past were Ridcully and Stibbons, as for the Bursar, he didn't bother himself with such considerations, his attention was entirely focused on the sugar bowl hold by Rorschach.
"Yes we remember it, why ? Release the Bursar's wrist, will you ? Bursar, I've already told you not to touch sugar, it's not good for you !" boomed Ridcully
"The young heroes, they strangely look like them. Look like me, Nite Owl and Silk Specter. Fredson is even starting to act like me."
"Well, not amazing. The kid clearly sees you as a role-model looking at his suit," stated the Archchancelor
"The problem is that he's not aware of it. Broke a man's fingers yesterday but didn't realized he did it, was in shock."
"Does the others act like your friends ?" asked Stibbons, his curiosity excited, contrary to the Dean worried about the existence of a second psychopathic mask
"Not really."
"I have a theory about that. These young heroes appeared right after you arrived in our world, isn't it ? In addition, there is a striking resemblance between you an the first of them. Everything tends to make me think that you're the cause of it, you must have modified the fabric of reality on the Disc when you were teleported here and it leads some young men to act like you and your former colleagues."
"How the hell did this Fredson get a mask like yours ?" asked the Dean
"Found it near the University."
The wizards looked as shocked as Grey Wolf when he heard it.
"Could you ask him to bring me his mask ?" asked Stibbon
"No !" answered sharply the vigilante
"But it's just to check a new theory I've just thought about to explain this strange parallelism between the two worlds. Maybe objects reminding you and your friends could be some kind of vectors and make them progressively become and more like you..." tried Stibbon
Ridcully, feeling the situation was getting ugly, decided to distract Rorschach's attention with another question:
"There were three other members in your group, right ? The assassinated guy you inquired on his death, the megalomaniac who destroyed millions to save billions and the big blue guy who tried to kill you, I forgot no one ? Their counterparts have not appeared yet ?"
"The Comedian, Ozymandias and Manhattan. Not yet. Hope the last ones' counterparts will not show up."
"Understandable," answered the wizard as he finished his tea. "Well, that's strange indeed, if you learn further about it, don't hesitate to ask again."
·][·
Rorschach and Rincewind met up the commissioner Vimes to the Pseudopolis Yard, it had been the first time since a long time that he was in Ankh-Morpok in daylight. They headed towards the old winter palace of the Ankh-Morpok kings, now the Patrician's palace, they didn't notice the red-headed boy holding a sign"Harga's pork-chops, you can't resist it !" watching them.
Near the palace, there was the gagged assassin painted in white and black and tied to the statue of Old-Stone-Face.
"Not bad," commented Rorschach
"Glad you like it."
He untied the assassin and entered followed by the others.
·][·
"My lord ?"
"Yes, Drumknott ?"
"The commissioner Vimes, the wizard Rincewind and the vigilante Rorschach have made an appointment, the honorable Lord Downey and Mr Boggis too."
"Very well, introduce them."
The five men and the assassin entered together into the Oblong Office.
"What can I do for you ?" asked Vetinari
Rorschach grabbed the painted assassin by the collar and throw him on the bureau, making Drumknott, who had spent hours classifying everything, twitch, whereas Vetinari remained, as usual, imperturbable.
"An assassin. Member of the guild. Tried to kill me. Paid by the Thieves' Guild and the De Mort family. Deal not respected."
Lord Downey remained perfectly calm, contrary to Mr Boggis, boiling with indignation.
"How this filthy little bastard dare..."
"Any problem Mr Boggis ? You can leave by this door if you think there's slander."
"No, there's nothing, My lord."
When Lord Vetinari proposed you a particular door to leave it meant most of the time that there was nothing good behind it.
Then Vetinari turned towards Rorschach.
"I see. This a subject of important matter indeed. What do you expect from me ?"
"Retribution."
"Agreed."
"My lord ?"
It was Lord Downey, who hadn't said a word until now.
"Yes, lord Downey ?"
"I would like to apologizes to sir Rorschach and ensure him that the Guild has never accepted any contract on his head. Mr Maynard must have acted without our consent and I can ensure you that Mr De Mort has too much honor to broke a commitment taken by the Guild, only his family must have desired revenge, a regrettable but understandable reaction. That is how everything happened, isn't it Mr Maynard ?"
"Liar" was the first word that came in mind to Vimes, Rorschach and Rincewind listening to Lord Downey.
The unfortunate assassin just said:
"Yes... yes, exactly."
"And I suggest as an apology to put Mr Rorschach's name into the register of the clients unwanted by the Guild, if your Lordship allows me to do so, of course."
"Add the other masks. Civil identities included."
"As you wish. In addition, I propose to punish Mr Maynard second the ways of the Guild.
"Why would I refuse ? After all, he law allows the guilds to punish their members in their own ways if they want."
Now Maynard looked really terrified whereas two guards grabbed him to take him away from the Oblong Office followed by Lord Downey, he was crying and begging for mercy.
"No ! No ! Have mercy, I'll surrender to the Watch or even that psychopath ! Anything but that !"
"Please Maynard," said Lord Downey interrupting him "Try to keep the little dignity you still have"
"No way this bloody assassin gets a preferential treatment ! I don't see why he wouldn't go with the common prisoners !" protested Vimes
"Commissioner, they have the law on their side, and you represent the law, remember", stated calmly Vetinari
Vimas was about to argue but Rorschach, showing himself quicker, spoke the first.
"Want the Watch to take care of it."
"But sir, I can ensure you the Guild will take care of him."
"I said the Watch, not you."
"Anyway, I don't understand why I lose my time talking with you since I have the law on my side."
"Sorry to contradict you but according to the law, the victim has the right to chose the punishment he thinks appropriate for the culprit, and this right overcome the privileges of the guilds. But maybe you would like to check what I've just said ?"
"No, of course no your Lordship," answered the Assassin's Guild head. He was perfectly aware that questioning Vetinari was a suicidal attitude. "After all, if you want to burden yourself with him, Vimes..."
Before leaving the Oblong Office, he motioned to the guards to release Maynard, who threw himself at Rorschach's feet, forgetting in his happiness the psychopath the man was.
"Tankyou ! Thankyou ! Thankyou ! Thankyou !..."
"Hey, don't forget you're going in jail !" said Vimes forcing him to pick up, not only because he was embarrassed by this behavior, but mostly to avoid that Rorschach, who had dangerously flinched when the assassin threw himself at his feet, bash him even more. In fact, this reaction resulted more of astonishment than anger: it was the very first time a criminal thanked him.
Boggis turned suddenly towards the faceless vigilante and said:
"Listen, as an apologize, the Thieves' Guild offers you the sum given to this incompetent assassin."
He held him reluctantly a quite big bundle of banknotes.
"Now we're quits. What are you waiting for ?"
Indeed, contrary to what he expected, Rorschach didn't pounce on the banknotes and was still looking at him, or more exactly creepy moving stains were looking at him.
"What's the matter ? You want more ? That's it ?"
"No, black money. Don't want it.'
"Correction, it has been acquired legally," said Boggis taking back the billets hastily. "You don't own anything valuable, do you ?" he asked before before leaving the Oblong office.? "Never mind, stupid question anyway just by looking at you."
"Well the case is settled. Don't let me detain you."
After these words of the Patrician, the three men left the office.
·][·
Once out of the palace Vimes asked:
"Why didn't you let the assassins take care of him ?"
"Criminals shouldn't rule the roost. And you seem... trustworthy," admitted Rorschach. "Honest, not like cops from where I come."
"Good you didn't see the Watch as it was before then," said Vimes. "You does good work with the kids, too violent sometimes, but good."
·][·
The commissioner Vimes came back home, welcomed by his wife, Sybil.
"Hello Dear, have you had a good day ?"
"Yes dear. Where is Sam ?"
"With the hatchlings, you know, Daisy's ones. He's been taking care of them since the poor darling exploded."
Samuel Vimes Jr, who was at seventeen years old and a half the spitting image of Samuel Vimes Sr, more commonly referred as Sam or Sammy, had inherited, to his father great annoyance, the passion of his mother for these little flying bangers swamp dragons are.
"Could you go upstairs and tell him the dinner is ready ?"
"Yes, darling."
Sybil could have send Willikins do it, but for everything concerning their son, even if her husband hadn't said it properly, she knew he wanted to share time with his son as often as possible since, because of his work, he couldn't see him much.
When Samuel opened the door of his son's room, he found the young man putting out a little fire with his foot and was yelling at a tiny hatchling with big sad eye whereas two others were clinging to his left arm.
"Bloody dragon ! Bad Timmy ! No coil for you tonight. Hi dad !"
"Hi son, leave your beasts, dinner is ready."
Sybil Ramkin wasn't a gook cook but her husband and her son were not good eaters, which helped, Sybil burned everything, which led her son to think that it was a perfect food for the dragons.
"Sam, I've already told you I don't want to see these things on the table , even less that your give them your own food."
"Dad, Pepper and Ted need to regain some strength, besides they are much less stressed when I'm around, so there's little rick they could explode. You should be happy of it, shouldn't you ?"
His father didn't answer back and just masticated his carbonized steak.
"Oh, and I tried a new combination on Phoenix and the results are better than last time. Can I show you ?"
"No."
"Why ?"
Vimes just pointed the window, from where could be seen a pretty impressive crater in the garden, result from the last Sam's tests.
"Sam, I've already told you what I thought about your idea of transforming the dragons into weapons."
This stupid idea had taken birth one years ago in their son's head who was searching the suitable food to give the dragon so that they give a good flame without explosion, and tried different combinations to create this special food or "D-food", which stood for "Dragon food", as he called it, which was seen as a good thing at the beginning by both his parents, even if it wasn't for the same reasons (3), but they didn't see this experiments that way for a long time: Sam's experiments had until now led to many craters in the garden, the explosion of the dragons' room, numerous explosions in the neighborhood and some burn marks, thankfully not important, on Sam himself.
"But the Watch could use it."
"Sam, the Watch is doing just fine that way, we don't need walking bombs, thank you very much ! And don't start talking about your other idea please, plus we already have an Airbone section (4)."
The other idea of Sam involving the dragons and the Watch was to fix a dragon on an agent's back so that he could be driven into the air by the flame the dragon will throw on the floor, thus they could watch the town from the sky. The last experiment ended for Sam Jr to burn marks on the bottom.
"I would like to help the Watch by joining but since some idiots had the wonderful idea to fix the age to join the City Watch to eighteen for humans it's the only way I can help for the moment..."
"Son, I don't consider that as a bad idea at all."
He looked at his mother: he knew she was for something in the Patrician's decision to raise the age to join the watch some years ago, but when he pointed that out, she said it was just a mere coincidence that the law passed just when he asked insistently to join the watch when he was fifteen, especially after he tried to get some weapons during a riot to help the watch, he was impeached to do so by Carrot.
"Well, dad and Carrot were only sixteen when they joined."
"That was many years ago, others days, others ways, Sam."
Sam looked at his father, expecting him to say something, Sam Sr made a quite expressive answer with his shoulders which meant: I would like to help, really, but it's useless, I have authority to catch thieves, except the licensed ones, and so on but I have no authority on your mother for that, get used to it !
"I'm taking care of the dragons mum, 'evening !"
Samuel Vimes Jr left the table and went into the local of the dragons, now deserted by the interchangeable Emmas, he slipped on his yellow leather-suit before going inside, then he fed the hungry dragons. After ensuring himself that nobody was here, he took out of his suit a little bag and gave the content to one of the dragons.
"Come Phoenix, time to eat. That's it big boy, easy."
Once the digestion achieved, he delicately took the dragon in his arms, the little creature extended as long as he could his neck as his master was scratching him under the chin, then Sam kept the swamp-dragon's head in his right hand while he kept his other hand on the reptile's belly. He pointed Phoenix at a dried potted plant ten meters away, then he scratched the little dragon so that he could throw flames as his mother showed him (it avoided them from exploding), an impressive and almost blue flame, looking more like laser beams of Roundworld's science-fiction movies than usual dragon's fire, the plant turned to ashes in one second and the pot became dust.
He did it: he created a flame that didn't destroyed the dragon's room, like the last time, after succeeding with a more moderate dose of the "special biscuits" he gave earlier to Phoenix, not to self: go and get others "biscuits", to create a flame that didn't transformed humans into ashes or disfigured burn-victims, no just that hurt them enough to stop them, he thought it could let indelible marks only if we kept burning them (5). When he'll tell his father about it... Then he got an idea, before showing him how useful the dragons could be for the Watch he should make some practical, and the Times' headlines about masked heroes gave him an idea.
He then decided to light one of the cigars he stole from his father, he could since he had no fire to put out this time, there were flames just before the plant turned to ashes, they vanished at this moment: such a success was something to celebrate.
·][·
After Vimes, Rorschach and Rincewind left the palace, Oliver entered into Mrs Brandon's shop, he came to take the clothes for Missis Palms.
But Mrs Brandon wasn't keeping the shop today.
"Hello Chast', your mother is here ? Still reading that things Corpsy ?"
Chastity Brandon (6), who was sat behind the counter, continued reading without paying any attention to the young man. She looked second Oliver like a widow-before-the-time with her strict black dress and the absence of smile on her face, the only clear color element on the young girl were her almost white hair which formed two plaits.
She closed her book, not a novel but a book about anatomy full of pictures that would make anyone sick, she read nothing except this kind of books, the delivery-boy nicknamed her "Corpsy" because of the dissected bodies pictures in the book. She rose up and, without looking at Oliver, who thought her glasses were useless since she didn't seem to see him, showed him a pile of clothes.
"The clothes are here."
She paid him, turned back to her book, that was all.
"Thanks and see you Miss !"
"Bitch" he thought to himself before closing the door.
·][·
In the boutique, Mrs Brandon and her daughter were dining, the silence reigned at the table. Chastity wasn't talkative, at such a point that many could think she's mute, her mother didn't see the point of asking her what she did this day, it was obvious: she was doing nothing but reading, she never left the shop, had no friends and no boyfriend, which was not amazing: she didn't make herself pretty with her mourning dresses and on top of it she never smiled. Mrs Brandon knew that many of her friends envied her for having such a daughter but she didn't consider herself lucky. She would have preferred a lot that she would be more like the daughters of her friends, always hanging around with boys.
"I'm going to bed, mother. Good night."
"Good night my daughter."
That was the only words they said this evening.
Once in her room, after checked if her mother were asleep, Chastity took off her round glasses and undid her plaits, then she wore off her dress but not to replace it by an old-lady-nightdress: she was indeed scantily dressed with a black and yellow suit. Once the metamorphose accomplished, the former widow-before-the-time opened the window and rejoined his partners (7), all men.
·][·
"Article 304 ?"
"All citizen of Ankh-Morpork has the right to ensure his defense if attacked, the right not to be dead, not to be robbed, dismembered, pulverized, transformed into a clam or anything else, the right to..."
"A citizen has not only rights, he also has duties, among them the duty of sleeping. Time to go to bed, Elsa !"
The little red-head was struggling in her mother's arms.
"Mum ! Just a little more ! I don't wanna go to bed !"
"Elsa, it is pretty late. Look at Gavin, he's much older than you and he is already sleeping."
"Dad !" begged the child
"Obey to your mother Elsa, we will finish it tomorrow."
"Yes dad."
Angua joined her husband after her daughter fell asleep.
"Frankly, don't you think that you should read to her something more suitable for her age, Carrot ?"
"But she really like it, besides I've heard that all they learn at this age they remember it for life. It's never too early to begin the instruction of a future Watchman."
"What tells you she will work in the Watch ?"
"She told me, Gavin did too."
The worst, Angua thought, was that he was right: both children were as enthusiastic as their father, Gavin seemed to know the law even better than she did.
"Speaking of Gavin, we should check if he's sleeping."
"But you said earlier..."
"Just to convince our daughter to sleep, Carrot."
They opened the door of their son's room, he was asleep, so they decided to leave.
Gavin, once sure that his parents and his sister were sleeping, rose up, took a piece of paper on which he quickly wrote a few words, he rolled it and attached it around his neck with a thread, then he left through the window without making any noise. He had hidden his suit in an alleyway two blocks away from his house, he changed regularly the hiding-place, in addition he covered the costume of pepper time to time so that his mother doesn't smell him, but a very little quantity so that it doesn't affect him too much. But this night, he wouldn't need his costume: he came out naked.
(1) Which didn't keep them from warily stay away from this thing.
(2) The ones from Discworld, not Roundworld, there's only one from Roundworld here.
(3) They both thought it was good that the dragon didn't explode like they did most of the time when they throw fire, Sybil because the poor little darlings would be safer, and Vimes because he didn't like to see big red puddles everywhere.
(4) Which means the gnome watchman Buggy Swires and his buzzard.
(5) And now, you must be wondering: how the hell can he tell that ? Don't worry, the Commissioner's son isn't a monster, he didn't use human guinea-pigs to see that, he tried it first on dummies, then on himself once the dummies didn't end up like the dried plant earlier. It just hurt him so much he had to release the dragon but he didn't get any burn marks and the pain vanished quickly
(6) Named "Chastity" by a mother who apparently loves her and called "Chast'" by the delivery-boy she found so annoying, but she preferred it to "Corpsy", his second favorite stupid nickname.
(7) Not this kind of partners, right ?