Disciplinary
A glimpse into the everyday management of the Air Watch.
Inspired by speculation on the Ankh-Morpork Times – News of the Disc page on FB, where art inspired by Goya and Luis Ricardo Falero on a theme of "Witches going to the Sabbath" was republished; the artwork shows a gang of young witches letting their hair down and flying into the air in a state Granny Weatherwax (mayhersoulhavemercyontheGods) would have deplored, and described as "dancin' around without your drawers on" and which, had Nanny Ogg been present, she would have whole-heartedly joined in with. To the City Watch, this would have been called "being improperly dressed" and "Behaviour calculated to bring the Watch into disrepute". To Watchwomen, this would have been "a good night out.".
Here, Olga deals with the fall-out the next morning and awards punishment fatigues. I may come back and expand a little.
Captain Olga Romanoff was furious. The assembled Air Witches, who knew it was serious when she imposed full military discipline and called everyone to full attention, and who in any case were feeling a bit fragile that morning, waited for her to speak. Sergeant Hanna von Strafenburg, who was senior NCO and who had not attended the previous night's party, looked absolutely furious. Nobody got on the wrong side of Hanna, a woman described as "nearly six feet of Überwaldean efficiency." And they didn't call Olga "The Red Baroness" for nothing.
Captain Romanoff took her time in speaking. When she did, she pointed out that letting off steam is all very well and good. Watchwomens' nights out were renowned for it. She understood pilots needed to let off steam more often then most. But, she put it to the assembled Air Watch pilots, none of whom was much over twenty, that there was such a thing as taking it too far.
Sergeant Sally von Humpeding, (who as she could fly without need of a broomstick was counted as a member of the Air Watch) winced. Being dragged out your coffin with a hangover in the middle of the day, to answer a disciplinary, was not pleasant.
Captain Romanoff built on this theme for a while. She did this with eloquence and some heat. Then she smiled. it was the smile of a commanding officer who was about to award punishment. The girls of the Air Watch braced themselves.
Olga nodded to Lieutenant Nadezhda Popova, an older officer who had attended the squadron party for a while out of politeness, and had left early, still correctly dressed. Nadezhda had a husband and family to go to. She had different priorities, these days.
"We now have the Heavy Squadron." Olga said, in a more pleasant voice. "Commanded by Lieutenant Popova, who will now take charge of you all. I have instructed the recruits and orderlies who would have done the routine fatigues there to stand down. You can all draw yard brushes and shovels and fly wheelbarrows for the rest of the morning. I believe Jumbo Three has been having tummy trouble, and a vet has been called. I would like the vet to attend on his patient in a clean stable. That is all, ladies. Dismiss."
There were groans of hungover dismay. The Air Watch had recently stepped up from Pegasi, flying horses. Which also took a lot of grooming and stable-cleaning. It now had Osibisi. Flying elephants. An Osibisa that had eaten too much of the wrong things would take some cleaning up after.