Things have been busy so this is just a quick interlude as I try to get back into the story. Review if you enjoy.
The Ankh-Morpork City Watch had special protocols for those occasions when the populace was even more criminally inclined than usual. It started with Koom Valley Day but quickly was extended to cover Hogswatch Night, Troll Old Year, All Gold's Day (which was primarily dwarven but was growing in popularity), Mrs. Palm's birthday (the city was never uglier than on the one night all the seamstresses took off) and most recently: the Harvest Sabbatical. The final was most confusing since it had been conceived by city men who'd never even held a hoe (the farming implement) but had some fuzzy notions about ancient traditions, fertility rites, sabbats and plowing. They'd become far too excited to bother with nuisances like accurate terminology.
It was just as well the Koom Valley Accord had ended the annual troll/dwarf dust-up because the coppers just didn't have time for it anymore.
This was the first year that the Guild Banquet had been added to the list and the watch switched over to emergency protocol without batting an eye. Literally. Sleep fell under 'non-essential' duties for a solid 48 hours. Everyone was on continuous rotation with only an hour's rack time every shift. The bunks were harder than a golem's ass and the pillows felt like they'd been stuffed with Igor's spare parts. Sometimes smelled like it too. Most of the watch found that simply stepping into the bunk room gave them the energy to race out around the block a few times. Particularly if it was Angua and Carrot's turn for rack time and they'd forgotten to jam the door shut.
The muffled thumping of moving furniture preceded Angua emerging from the bunks with a luxurious stretch and smile that was very nearly feline in its contentment. Carrot was just behind her, still reassembling his armor.
"Your turn for the bunks, Sal." The blonde smiled as she walked past.
"No thanks. I think I'll wait for the next rotation." Sally shook her head, trying to suggest moderate disapproval but only succeeding in making it to bemused.
"You've already been on for twelve. Pass up this hour and you may not see another bed for two shifts. Once the banquet starts no one gets a break until dawn." Carrot warned, radiating concern.
"Probably not even then," Sally acknowledged, "I'll be fine. Child of the night – remember?"
Carrot had managed to get his chest plate done up but when he went to buckle on his sword he realized his belt was still back in the bunks and he sheepishly returned to fetch it.
"Mmm," Angua crossed her arms and eyeballed her coworker appraisingly, "I'm more concerned about the officer in the morning."
"Angua, I wouldn't be able to sleep in there right now anyway. It always smells for hours after you two have been in there." Sally lowered her voice a little, grateful Carrot had to step away.
"Really? It bothers you? I hardly even notice it anymore and I smell everything."
"Yeah, well, I think you may have had more time to get used to it. Seriously, do you two always have to do that here? Can't it just wait until we're off crisis schedule?"
"Carrot thinks it's important to keep a good routine." Angua shrugged.
"Absolutely. Excuses are the gateway to neglect." Carrot affirmed as he returned to the conversation, despite not really having a clue what they were talking about.
"Fine. We'll just have to get you a different kind of armor polish." Sally gave up, wrinkling her nose at the pungent aroma still clinging to them both. She could actually see the reflection of her face in Angua's breastplate.