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The Case of the Mysterious Island: Part 2
Dec. 6th, 2015 07:09 pmThings aren't good in Ankh-Morpork.
The Watch is currently investigating the shooting of a Klatchan prince, which means that all the ordinary criminals are using the time to try and sneak crime through while the Watch is busy.
Lance-Constable Fiddyment finds going to work is still, however, easier than being at home right now. One of his younger brothers, Algae, has signed up to fight in the regiments, at just fourteen. Between his father complaining about who is going to man the shop, and his pregnant mother fretting about his safety, it's been pretty tense. So far, searching during working hours hasn't revealed where Algae is hiding out to 'train' for the army.
Half way through his shift, Auxin spots his youngest brother Root dragging along the delivery cart, and feels a pang of guilt.
"Dad's going to have to hire that donkey again." he says, coming to take some of the strain off the nine-year-old for a minute. "You can't pull all this on your own, Root, take smaller loads."
"Have you found Algae yet?" Root asks, stretching his arms.
"Not yet. I'm still looking though." Auxin says. "Maybe I can take some of the deliveries on the way to work tomorrow.
"I hope the new baby is a girl." Root says. "Then she can do all the cleaning so I don't have to help."
"That's not right." Auxin says. "You should meet Sergeant Angua, I bet she doesn't do all the cleaning. Anyway, the baby will be a baby for years and years, you'll have nearly left home by the time she's old enough to help you much."
"If we ever get to leave." Root says.
"He can't keep us there forever." Auxin reassures his brother, though he doesn't feel entirely sure of that himself. "We'll just have to get Herbert to get married, then he can take over the shop."
He reaches the corner and sees Captain Carrot. He hurriedly hands the cart back to Root, before approaching his Captain and saluting.
"Sorry sir, he was struggling and..."
The Captain waves a hand. "All part of your civic duty. Your brother isn't back yet then?"
"No sir." Auxin admits.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Carrot sighs. "I'm afraid things are rather bad, and we need you to all come along to a meeting. Vetinari has resigned, and Lord Rust is demanding we round up all the Klatchans."
Auxin stares up at him in horror. Carrot continues.
"Mr Vimes and the rest of us seniors have resigned in protest. We're going to do a handover to Corporal Stronginthearm." He looks at Auxin's face and smiles kindly. "I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure Mr Vimes will think of something and we'll all be back in no time."
Auxin doesn't feel so sure. All his mind can work on is how he is going to keep Alik's family safe. Would resigning in protest prevent them being rounded up? He already knew they didn't want to go to Klatch; Alik and Sara were born here, this was their home and business. They couldn't be the only ones either.
When he gets home, he waits until dark, then goes up to the attic bedroom and opens the skylight. Not many houses have windows in the roof, but a few years back there was some business with a dragon, and a few shops on this road took the opportunity to replace gaping holes in their roof with a skylight. Alik's family had got one too. They'd got a good deal, and it saved money on candles in the daytime.
He carefully climbs out of the window and crawls across to the window to Alik's bedroom. He checks carefully that Sara isn't in there, then taps gently on the glass to get his friend's attention. Alik jumps, then looks up and opens the window.
"What's wrong with the door?" Alik asks.
"I was just checking out how easy it is to do this." Auxin says, dropping down. He fills Alik in on the plans to round up the Klatchans.
"But the people left in the Watch," Auxin continues. "They're the rookies and the people who never got promoted past corporal. If I could find out what order they're going round the streets, maybe I could warn people the night before. They won't have time to go round twice."
"How?" Alik asks.
"Maybe I could deliver them something." Auxin says. "Like... one potato, that's the cheapest thing we have. But how will I know which houses to go to?"
"Gossip spreads fast." Alik says. "I'll get people to send you some orders for one potato, any day delivery, then you get the date right."
Auxin climbs though the skylight back to his house and thinks. Probably, nobody will have made a list of the streets yet. What if he was to take the initiative and himself write the list? Then he could be quite sure that he could warn people in time.
He goes back down to the basement where he does the deliveries, pulls out a map of Ankh-Morpork, and starts working on a strategy.
The Watch is currently investigating the shooting of a Klatchan prince, which means that all the ordinary criminals are using the time to try and sneak crime through while the Watch is busy.
Lance-Constable Fiddyment finds going to work is still, however, easier than being at home right now. One of his younger brothers, Algae, has signed up to fight in the regiments, at just fourteen. Between his father complaining about who is going to man the shop, and his pregnant mother fretting about his safety, it's been pretty tense. So far, searching during working hours hasn't revealed where Algae is hiding out to 'train' for the army.
Half way through his shift, Auxin spots his youngest brother Root dragging along the delivery cart, and feels a pang of guilt.
"Dad's going to have to hire that donkey again." he says, coming to take some of the strain off the nine-year-old for a minute. "You can't pull all this on your own, Root, take smaller loads."
"Have you found Algae yet?" Root asks, stretching his arms.
"Not yet. I'm still looking though." Auxin says. "Maybe I can take some of the deliveries on the way to work tomorrow.
"I hope the new baby is a girl." Root says. "Then she can do all the cleaning so I don't have to help."
"That's not right." Auxin says. "You should meet Sergeant Angua, I bet she doesn't do all the cleaning. Anyway, the baby will be a baby for years and years, you'll have nearly left home by the time she's old enough to help you much."
"If we ever get to leave." Root says.
"He can't keep us there forever." Auxin reassures his brother, though he doesn't feel entirely sure of that himself. "We'll just have to get Herbert to get married, then he can take over the shop."
He reaches the corner and sees Captain Carrot. He hurriedly hands the cart back to Root, before approaching his Captain and saluting.
"Sorry sir, he was struggling and..."
The Captain waves a hand. "All part of your civic duty. Your brother isn't back yet then?"
"No sir." Auxin admits.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Carrot sighs. "I'm afraid things are rather bad, and we need you to all come along to a meeting. Vetinari has resigned, and Lord Rust is demanding we round up all the Klatchans."
Auxin stares up at him in horror. Carrot continues.
"Mr Vimes and the rest of us seniors have resigned in protest. We're going to do a handover to Corporal Stronginthearm." He looks at Auxin's face and smiles kindly. "I wouldn't worry too much, I'm sure Mr Vimes will think of something and we'll all be back in no time."
Auxin doesn't feel so sure. All his mind can work on is how he is going to keep Alik's family safe. Would resigning in protest prevent them being rounded up? He already knew they didn't want to go to Klatch; Alik and Sara were born here, this was their home and business. They couldn't be the only ones either.
When he gets home, he waits until dark, then goes up to the attic bedroom and opens the skylight. Not many houses have windows in the roof, but a few years back there was some business with a dragon, and a few shops on this road took the opportunity to replace gaping holes in their roof with a skylight. Alik's family had got one too. They'd got a good deal, and it saved money on candles in the daytime.
He carefully climbs out of the window and crawls across to the window to Alik's bedroom. He checks carefully that Sara isn't in there, then taps gently on the glass to get his friend's attention. Alik jumps, then looks up and opens the window.
"What's wrong with the door?" Alik asks.
"I was just checking out how easy it is to do this." Auxin says, dropping down. He fills Alik in on the plans to round up the Klatchans.
"But the people left in the Watch," Auxin continues. "They're the rookies and the people who never got promoted past corporal. If I could find out what order they're going round the streets, maybe I could warn people the night before. They won't have time to go round twice."
"How?" Alik asks.
"Maybe I could deliver them something." Auxin says. "Like... one potato, that's the cheapest thing we have. But how will I know which houses to go to?"
"Gossip spreads fast." Alik says. "I'll get people to send you some orders for one potato, any day delivery, then you get the date right."
Auxin climbs though the skylight back to his house and thinks. Probably, nobody will have made a list of the streets yet. What if he was to take the initiative and himself write the list? Then he could be quite sure that he could warn people in time.
He goes back down to the basement where he does the deliveries, pulls out a map of Ankh-Morpork, and starts working on a strategy.
