'Yeah! Funny old world, ain't it? He was very bashful about it.'
'Good grief,' said Vimes.
'It just goes to show, you never can tell,' said Colon. 'Anyway, the caretaker said the Elucidated Brethren always leave the place in a mess. Scuffed chalk marks on the floor, he said. And they never put the chairs back properly or wash out the tea urn. They've been meeting a lot lately, he said. The nuddy wimmin painters had to meet somewhere else last week.'
'What did you do with our suspect?' said Vimes.
'Him? Oh, he done a runner, Captain,' said the sergeant, looking embarrassed.
'Why? He didn't look in any shape to run anywhere.'
'Well, when we got back here, we sat him down by the fire and wrapped him up because he kept on shivering,' said Sergeant Colon, as Vimes buckled his armour on.
'I hope you didn't eat his pizzas.'
'Errol et 'em. It's the cheese, see, it goes all…'
'Goon.'
'Well,' said Colon awkwardly, 'he kept on shivering, sort of thing, and groaning on about dragons and that. We felt sorry for him, to tell the truth. And then he jumps up and runs out of the door for no reason at all.'
Vimes glanced at the sergeant's big, open, dishonest face.
'No reason?' he prompted.
'Well, we decided to have a bite, so I sent Nobby out to the baker's, see, and, well, we
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