tp.guards!guards!-第46部分

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ardly　even　had　to　aim。　If　that　dragon's　got　any　voonerables；　that　arrow'll　find　'em。〃
　He　selected　an　identical…looking　but　presumably　less　lucky　arrow　and　nocked　it。　Then　he　looked　around　the　rooftops　with　a　speculative　eye。
　〃Better　get　my　hand　in；〃　he　muttered。　〃Of　course；　once　you　learn　you　never　forget；　it's　like　riding　a。。。　riding　a。。。riding　something　you　never　forget　being　able　to　ride。〃
　He　pulled　the　bowstring　back　to　his　ear；　and　grunted。
　〃Right；〃　he　wheezed；　as　his　arm　trembled　with　the　tension　like　a　branch　in　a　gale。　〃See　the　roof　of　the　Assassins'　Guild　over　there？〃　They　peered　through　the　grubby　air。
　〃Right；　then；〃　said　Colon。　〃And　do　you　see　the　weathervane　on　it？　Do　you　see　it？〃
　Carrot　glanced　at　the　arrowhead。　It　was　weaving　back　and　forth　in　a　series　of　figure…eights。
　〃It's　a　long　way　off；　Sarge；〃　said　Nobby　doubtfully。
　〃Never　you　mind　me；　you　keep　your　eyes　on　the　weathervane；〃　groaned　the　sergeant。
　They　nodded。　The　weathervane　was　in　the　shape　of　a　creeping　man　with　a　big　cloak；　his　outstretched　dagger　was　always　turned　to　stab　the　wind。　At　this　distance；　though；　it　was　tiny。
　〃Okay；〃　panted　Colon。　〃Now；　d'you　see　the　man's　eye？〃
　〃Oh；　e　on；　〃　said　Nobby。
　〃Shutup；　shutup；　shutup！〃　groaned　Colon。　〃Do　you　see　it；　I　said！〃
　〃I　think　I　can　see　it；　Sarge；〃　said　Carrot　loyally。
　〃Right。　Right；〃　said　the　sergeant；　swaying　backwards　and　forwards　with　effort。　〃Right。　Good　lad。　Okay。　Now　keep　an　eye　on　it；　right？〃
　He　grunted；　and　loosed　the　arrow。
　Several　things　happened　so　fast　that　they　will　have　to　be　recounted　in　stop…motion　prose。　Probably　the　first　was　the　bowstring　slapping　into　the　soft　inner　part　of　Colon's　wrist；　causing　him　to　scream　and　drop　the　bow。　This　had　no　effect　on　the　path　of　the　arrow；　which　was　already　flying　straight　and　true　towards　a　gargoyle　on　the　rooftop　just　across　the　road。　It　hit　it　on　the　ear；　bounced；　ricocheted　off　a　wall　six　feet　away；　and　headed　back　towards　Colon　apparently　at　a　slightly　increased　speed；　going　past　his　ear　with　a　silky　humming　noise。
　It　vanished　in　the　direction　of　the　city　walls。
　After　a　while　Nobby　coughed　and　gave　Carrot　a　look　of　innocent　inquiry。
　〃About　how　big；〃　he　said；　〃is　a　dragon's　voonerables；　roughly？〃
　〃Oh；　it　can　be　a　tiny　spot；〃　said　Carrot　helpfully。
　〃I　was　sort　of　afraid　of　that；〃　said　Nobby。　He　wandered　to　the　edge　of　the　roof；　and　pointed　downwards。　〃There's　a　pond　just　here；〃　he　said。　〃They　use　it　for　cooling　water　in　the　stills。　I　reckon　it's　pretty　deep；　so　after　the　sergeant　has　shot　at　the　dragon　we　can　jump　in　it。　What　d'you　say？〃
　〃Oh；　but　we　don't　need　to　do　that；〃　said　Carrot。　〃Because　the　sergeant's　lucky　arrow　would　of　hit　the　spot　and　the　dragon'll　be　dead；　so　we　won't　have　anything　to　worry　about。〃
　〃Granted；　granted；〃　said　Nobby　hurriedly；　looking　at　Colon's　scowling　face。　〃But　just　in　case；　you　know；　if　by　a　million…to…one　chance　he　misses　…　I'm　not　saying　he　will；　mark　you；　you　just　have　to　think　of　all　eventualities　…　if；　by　incredible　bad　luck；　he　doesn't　quite　manage　to　hit　the　voonerable　dead　on；　then　your　dragon　is　going　to　lose　his　rag；　right；　and　it's　probably　a　good　idea　to　not　be　here。　It's　a　long　shot；　I　know。　Call　me　a　worry…wart　if　you　like。　That's　all　I'm　saying。〃
　Sergeant　Colon　adjusted　his　armour　haughtily。
　〃When　you　really　need　them　the　most；〃　he　said；　〃million…to…one　chances　always　crop　up。　Well…known　fact。〃
　〃The　sergeant　is　right；　Nobby；〃　said　Carrot　virtuously。　〃You　know　that　when　there's　just　one　chance　which　might　just　work…well；　it　works。　Otherwise　there'd　be　no；〃　he　lowered　his　voice；〃I　mean；　it　stands　to　reason；　if　last　desperate　chances　didn't　work；　there'd　be　no　。。。　well；　the　gods　wouldn't　let　it　be　any　other　way。　They　wouldn't。〃
　As　one　man；　the　three　of　them　turned　and　looked　through　the　murky　air　towards　the　hub　of　the　Discworld；　thousands　of　miles　away。　Now　the　air　was　grey　with　old　smoke　and　mist　shreds；　but　on　a　clear　day　it　was　possible　to　see　Cori　Celesti；　home　of　the　gods。　Site　of　the　home　of　the　gods；　anyway。　They　lived　in　Dunmanifestin；　the　stuccoed　Valhalla；　where　the　gods　faced　eternity　with　the　kind　of　minds　that　were　at　a　loss　to　know　what　to　do　to　pass　a　wet　afternoon。　They　played　games　with　the　fates　of　men；　it　was　said。　Exactly　what　game；　they　thought；　they　were　playing　at　the　moment　was　anyone's　guess。
　But　of　course　there　were　rules。　Everyone　knew　there　were　rules。　They　just　had　to　hope　like　Hell　that　the　gods　knew　the　rules；　too。
　〃It's　got　to　work；〃　mumbled　Colon。　〃I'll　be　using　my　lucky　arrow　'n　all。　You're　right。　Last　hopeless　chances　have　got　to　work。　Nothing　makes　any　sense　otherwise。　You　might　as　well　not　be　alive。〃
　Nobby　looked　down　at　the　pond　again。　After　a　moment's　hesitation　Colon　joined　him。　They　had　the　speculative　faces　of　men　who　had　seen　many　things；　and　knew　that　while　you　could　of　course　depend　on　heroes；　and　kings；　and　ultimately　on　gods；　you　could　really　depend　on　gravity　and　deep　water。
　〃Not　that　we'll　need　it；〃　said　Colon　virtuously。
　〃Not　with　your　lucky　arrow；〃　said　Nobby。
　〃That's　right。　But；　just　out　of　interest；　how　far　down　is　it；　d'you　think？〃　said　Colon。
　〃About　thirty　feet；　I'd　say。　Give　or　take。〃
　〃Thirty　feet；〃　Colon　nodded　slowly。　〃That's　what　I'd　reckon。　And　it's　deep；　is　it？〃
　〃Very　deep；　I've　heard。〃
　〃I'll　take　your　word　for　it。　It　looks　pretty　mucky。　I'd　hate　to　have　to　jump　in　it。〃
　Carrot　slapped　him　cheerfully　on　the　back；　nearly　pushing　him　over；　and　said；　〃What's　up；　Sarge？　Do　you　want　to　live　for　ever？〃
　〃Dunno。　Ask　me　again　in　five　hundred　years。〃
　〃It's　a　good　job　we've　got　your　lucky　arrow；　then！〃　said　Carrot。
　〃Hmm？〃　said　Colon；　who　seemed　to　be　in　a　miserable　daydream　world　of　his　own。
　〃I　mean；　it's　a　good　job　we've　got　a　last　desperate　million…to…one　chance　to　rely　on；　or　we'd　really　be　in　trouble！〃　
　〃Oh；　yes；〃　said　Nobby　sadly。　〃Lucky　old　us。〃
　
　。。。
　
　The　Patrician　lay　back。　A　couple　of　rats　dragged　a　cushion　under　his　head。
　〃Things　are　rather　bad　outside；　I　gather；〃　he　said。
　〃Yes；〃　said　Vimes　bitterly。　〃You're　right。　You're　the　safest　man　in　the　city。〃
　He　wedged　another　knife　in　a　crack　in　the　stones　and　tested　his　weight　carefully；　while　Lord　Vetinari　looked　on　with　interest。　He'd　managed　to　get　six　feet　off　the　floor　and　up　to　a　level　with　the　grille。
　Now　he　started　to　hack　at　the　mortar　around　the　bars。
　The　Patrician　watched　him　for　a　while；　and　then　took　a　book　off　the　little　shelf　beside　him。　Since　the　rats　couldn't　read　the　library　he'd　been　able　to　assemble　was　a　little　baroque；　but　he　was　not　a　man　to　ignore　fresh　knowledge。　He　found　his　bookmark　in　the　pages　of　Lacemaking　Through　the　Ages；　and　read　a　few　pages。
　After　a　while　he　found　it　necessary　to　brush　a　few　crumbs　of　mortar　off　the　book；　and　looked　up。
　〃Are　you　achieving　success？〃　he　inquired　politely。
　Vimes　gritted　his　teeth　and　hacked　away。　Outside　the　little　grille　was　a　grubby　courtyard；　barely　lighter　than　the　cell。　There　was　a　midden　in　one　corner；　but　currently　it　looked　very　attractive。　More　attractive　than　the　dungeon；　at　any　rate。　An　honest　midden　was　preferable　to　the　way　Ankh…Morpork　was　going　these　days。　It　was　probably　allegorical；　or　something。
　He　stabbed；　stabbed；　stabbed。　The　knife　blade　twanged　and　shook　in　his　hand。
　　
　。。。
　　
　The　Librarian　scratched　his　armpits　thoughtfully。　He　was　facing　problems　of　his　own。
　He　had　e　here　full　of　rage　against　book　thieves　and　that　rage　still　burned。　But　the　seditious　thought　had　occurred　to　him　that；　although　crimes　against　books　were　the　worst　kind　of　crimes；　revenge　ought；　perhaps；　to　be　postponed。
　It　occurred　to　him　that；　while　of　course　what　humans　chose　to　do　to　one　another　was　all　one　to　him；　there　were　certain　activities　that　should　be　curtailed　in　case　the　perpetrators　got　over…confident　and　started　doing　things　like　that　to　books；　too。
　The　Librarian　stared　at　his　badge　again；　and　gave　it　a　gentle　nibble　in　the　optimistic　hope　that　it　had　bee　edible。　No　doubt　about　it；　he　had　a　Duty　to　the　captain。
　The　captain　had　always　been　kind　to　him。　And　the　captain　had　a　badge；　too。
　Yes。
　There　were　times　when　an　ape　had　to　do　what　a　man　had　to　do　。。。
　The　orangutan　threw　a　plex　salute　and　swung　away　into　the　darkness。
　　
　。。。
　　
　The　sun　rose　higher；　rolling　through　the　mists　and　stale　smoke　like　a　lost　balloon。
　The　rank　sat　in　the　shade　of　a　chimney　stack；　waiting　and　killing　time　in　their　various　ways。　Nobby　was　thoughtfully　probing　the　contents　of　a　nostril；　Carrot　was　writing　a　letter　home；　and　Sergeant　Colon　was　worrying。
　After　a　while　he　shifted　his　weight　uneasily　and　said；　〃I've　fought　of　a　problem；〃
　〃Wassat；　Sarge？〃　said　Carrot。
　Sergeant　Colon　looked　wretched。　〃Weeell；　what　if　it's　not　a　million…to…one　chance？〃　he　said。
　Nobby　stared　at　him。
　〃What　d'you　mean？〃　he　said。　
　〃Well；　all　right；　last　desperate　million…to…one　chances　always　work；　right；　no　problem；　but。　。　。　well；　it's　pretty　wossname；　specific。　I　mean；　isn't　it？〃　
　〃You　tell　me；〃　said　Nobby。　
　〃What　if　it's　just　a　thousand…to…one　chance？〃　said　Colon　agonisedly。　
　〃What？〃
　〃Anyone　ever　heard　of　a　thousand…to…one　shot　ing　up？〃
　Carrot　looked　up。　〃Don't　be　daft；　Sergeant；〃　he　said。　〃No…one　ever　saw　a　thousand…to…one　chance　e　up。　The　odds　against　it　are；〃　his　lips　moved；　〃millions　to　one。〃　
　〃Yeah。　Millions；〃　agreed　Nobby。　
　〃So　it'd　only　work　if　it's　your　actual　million…to…one　chance；〃　said　the　sergeant。　〃I　suppose　that's　right；〃　said　Nobby。　
　〃So　999；943…to…one；　for　example。。。〃　Colon　began。　
　Carrot　shook　his　head。　〃Wouldn't　have　a　hope。　No　one　ever　said；　'It's　a　999；943…to…one　chance　but　it　might　just　work。'　〃
　They　stared　out　across　the　city　in　the　silence　of　ferocious　mental　calculation。
　〃We　could　have　a　real　problem　here；〃　said　Colon　eventually。
　Carrot　started　to　scribble　furiously。　When　questioned；　he　explained　at　length　about　how　you　found　the　surface　area　of　a　dragon　and　then　tried　to　estimate　the　chances　of　an　arrow　hitting　any　one　spot。　〃Aimed；　mind；〃　said　Sergeant　Colon。　〃I　aim。〃　Nobby　coughed。
　〃In　that　case　it's　got　to　be　a　lot　less　than　a　million…to…one　chance；〃　said　Carrot。　〃It　could　be　a　hundred…to…one。　If　the　dragon's　flying　slo