The Truth

He had people for that.

Another drop of thawed hail coursed down William's spine.

Surely even his father couldn't be this stupid?

He wondered if he should turn over everything to the Watch right now. But whatever they said about Vimes, in the end the man had a handful of men and a lot of influential enemies who had families going back a thousand years and the same amount of honour that you'd find in a dog fight.

No. He was a de Worde. The Watch was for other people, who couldn't sort out their problems their own way. And what was the worst that could happen?

So many things, he thought as he set out again, that it would be hard to decide which one was the worst.

A galaxy of candles burned in the middle of the floor. In the corroded mirrors around the room they looked like the lights of a shoal of deep-sea fishes.

William walked past overturned chairs. There was one upright, though, behind the candles.

He stopped.

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'Ah... William,' said the chair. Then Lord de Worde slowly unfolded his lanky form from the embracing leather and stood up in the light.

'Father,' said William.

'I thought you'd come here. Your mother always liked the place, too. Of course, it was... different in those days.'

William said nothing. It had been.

'I think this nonsense has got to stop now, don't you?' said Lord de Worde.

'I think it is stopping, father.'

'But I don't think you mean what I mean,' said Lord de Worde.

'I don't know what you think you mean,' said William. 'I just want to hear the truth from you.'

Lord de Worde sighed. 'The truth? I had the best interests of the city at heart, you know. You'll understand, one day. Vetinari is ruining the place.'

'Yes... well...hat's where it all becomes difficult, doesn't it?' said William, amazed that his voice hadn't even begun to shake yet. 'I mean, everyone says that sort of thing, don't they? "I did it for the best", "the end justifies the means" - the same words, every time.'

'Don't you agree, then, that it's time for a ruler who listens to the people?'

'Maybe. Which people did you have in mind?'

Lord de Worde's mild expression changed. William was surprised it had survived this long.

'You are going to put this in your rag of a newspaper, aren't you?'

William said nothing.

'You can't prove anything. You know that.'

William stepped into the light and Lord de Worde saw the notebook.

'I can prove enough. That's all that matters, really. The rest will become a matter of... inquiry. Do you know they call Vimes "Vetinari's terrier"? Terriers dig and dig and don't let go.'

Lord de Worde put his hand on the hilt of his sword.

And William heard himself think: Thank you. Thank you. Up until now, I couldn 't believe it...

'You have no honour, do you?' said his father, still in the voice

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of infuriating calm. 'Well, publish and be damned to you. And to the Watch. We gave no order to--'

'I expect you didn't,' said William. 'I expect you said "make it so" and left the details to people like Pin and Tulip. Bloody hands at arm's length.'

'As your father I order you to cease this... this

'You used to order me to tell the truth,' said William.

Lord de Worde drew himself up. 'Oh, William, Williaml Don't be so naive.'

William shut his notebook. The words came easier now. He'd leapt from the building and found that he could fly.

'And which one is this?' he said. The truth that is so precious it must be surrounded by a bodyguard of lies? The truth that is stranger than fiction? Or the truth that is still putting on its boots when a lie is ru

'Really?'

'Right now!' screamed William, so loud that Lord de Worde rocked backwards. 'Have you gone deaf as well as insane? Right now and don't come back, because if you do I'll publish every damn word you've just said!' William pulled the Dis-organizer out of his pocket. 'Every damn word! D'you hear me? And not even Mr Slant will be able to grease your way out of that! You even had the arrogance, the stupid arrogance, to use our house! How dare you! Get out of the city! And either draw that sword or take . , . your... hand... off... it!'

He stopped, red-faced and panting.

The truth has got its boots on,' he said. 'It's going to start kicking.' His eyes narrowed. 'I told you to take your hand off that sword!'

'So silly, so silly. And I believed you were my son

'Ah, yes. I nearly forgot that,' said William, now rocketing on rage. 'You'know one of the customs of the dwarfs? No, of course

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you don't, because they're not really people, are they? But I know one or two of them, you see, and so...' He pulled a velvet bag out of his pocket and threw it down in front of his father.

'And this is... ?' said Lord de Worde.

There's more than twenty thousand dollars in there, as close as a couple of experts could estimate,' said William. 'I didn't have a lot of time to work it out and I didn't want you to think I was being unfair, so I've erred on the generous side. That must cover everything I've cost you over the years. School fees, clothes, everything. I have to confess you didn't make such a good job of it, given that I'm the end result. I'm buying myself off you, you see.'

'Oh, I see. The dramatic gesture. Do you really think that family is a matter of money?' said Lord de Worde.

'We-ell, yes, according to history. Money, land and titles,' said William. 'It's amazing how often we failed to marry anyone who didn't have at least two out of three.'

'Cheap jibe. You know what I mean.'

'I don't know if I do,' said William. 'But I do know I got that money a few hours ago off a man who tried to kill me.'

'Tried to kill you?' For the first time there was a note of uncertainty.

'Why, yes. You're surprised?' said William. 'If you throw something into the air, don't you have to worry about where it bounces?'

'Indeed you do,' said Lord de Worde. He sighed, made a little hand signal, and William saw shadows detach themselves from deeper shadows. And he remembered that you couldn't run the de Worde estates without a lot of hired help, in every department of life. Hard men in little round hats, who knew how to evict and distrain and set mantraps...

'You have been overdoing it, I can see,' said his father, as they advanced. 'I think you need... yes, a long sea voyage. The Isles of Fog, perhaps, or possibly Fourecks. Or Bhangbhangduc. There's fortunes to be made there, I understand, by young men prepared to get their hands dirty. Certainly there's nothing for you here... nothing good.'

William made out four figures now. He'd seen them around on

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the estates. They tended to have one-word names, like Jenks or Clamper, and no visible pasts at all.

One of them said, 'Now, if you'll just see a bit o' sense, Mr William, we can all do this nice and quiet

'Small sums of money will be sent to you periodically,' said Lord de Worde. 'You will be able to live in a style which--'

A few wisps of dust spiralled down from the shadowy ceiling, twirling like sycamore leaves.

They landed next to the velvet bag.

Overhead, a shrouded chandelier jingled gently.

William looked up. 'Oh, no,' he said. 'Please... don't kill anyone!'

'What?' said Lord de Worde.

Otto Chriek dropped to the floor, hands raised like talons.

'Good evening!' he said to a shocked bailiff. He looked at his hands. 'Oh, vot am I thinking of!' He bunched his fists and danced from foot to foot. Tut zem up in the traditional Ankh-Morpork pugilism!'