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.'
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