Either the dwarfs had cut into a huge geode or they had with great care lined this small cave with quartz crystals until every surface reflected the light of the two small candles that stood on pillars in the middle of the sandy floor. The effect dazzled even Vimes after the darkness of the tunnels.
"Behold," said Dee gloomily, "where the Scone should be."
A round flat stone, midway between the candles and only a few inches high, clearly held nothing.
Behind it water bubbled up in a natural basin and split into two streams that flowed around the stone and disappeared again into another stone funnel.
"All right," said Vimes. "Tell me everything."
"It was reported missing three days ago," said Dee. "Dozy Longfinger found it gone when he went in to replace the candles."
"And his job is..."
"Captain of the Candles."
Ah.
"It"s a very responsible position."
"I"ve seen the chandeliers. And how often does he go in there?"
"He went in there every day."
"Went?"
"He no longer holds the position."
"Because he"s a prime suspect?" said Vimes.
"Because he"s dead."
"And how did that happen?" said Vimes, slowly and deliberately.
"He... took his own life. We"re certain of this because we had to break down the door of his cave. He"d been Captain of the Candles for sixty years. I think he couldn"t bear the thought of suspicion falling on him."
"To me he does sound a likely suspect."
"He did not steal the Scone. We know that much."
"But the robes you people wear could hide practically anything. Was he searched?"
"Certainly not! But... I"ll demonstrate," said Dee. He walked off along the narrow, metalfloored corridor. "Can you see me, your excellency?"
"Yes, of course."
The floor rattled as Dee came back. "Now this time I"ll carry something... Your helmet, if you please? Just for the demonstration." ;In that case," said Nobby firmly, "we"ve got to have a big metal drum to burn old scrap wood in, while we"re pickin" at it."
"Why?" said Reg.
"You got to stand around warmin" your hands over a big drum," said Nobby. "That"s how people know you"re an official picket and not a bunch of bums."
"But we are a bunch of bums, Nobby. People think we are, anyway."
"All right, but let"s be warm ones."
The sun was a finger"s width above the Rim when Vimes"s coach set off from the tower. Igor whipped the horses up. Vimes looked out of the window at the road"s edge, a few feet away and several hundred feet above the river.
"Why so fast?" he shouted.