"Sort of, sir. Gavin keeps an eye on things for Angua. They"re... old friends."
The moment of silence went on just slightly too long.
"He sounds like a very bright wolf," said Vimes, in the absence of anything more diplomatic to say.
"More than that. Angua thinks he might be part werewolf, from way back."
"Can that happen?"
"She says so. Did I tell you that he came all the way into Ankh-Morpork? A big city? Can you imagine what that must have been like?"
Vimes turned at a faint sound behind him.
A large wolf was standing at the edge of the firelight. It was looking at him intently. It wasn"t just the look of an animal sizing him up on the level of food/threat/thing. Behind that stare wheels were turning. And there was a small but rather proud mongrel at his side, scratching furiously.
"Is that Gaspode?" said Vimes. "The dog that"s always hanging around the Watch House?"
"Yes, he... helped me get here," said Carrot.
"I just don"t want to ask," said Vimes. "Any minute now a door"s going to open in a tree and Fred and Nobby are going to step out, am I right?"
"I hope not, sir."
Gavin lay down a short distance from the fire and started watching Carrot.
"Captain?" said Vimes.
"Yes, sir?"
"You"ll notice I haven"t pressed you on why you"re here as well as Angua."
"Yes, sir."
"Well?" said Vimes. And now he thought he recognized the look on Gavin"s face, even though it was on a face of an unusual shape. It was the look you got on the face of a gentleman lounging on a corner by a bank, watching the comings and goings, seeing how the place worked.
"I was admiring your diplomacy, sir."
"Hmm? What?" said Vimes, still staring at the wolf.
"I appreciated the way you were avoiding asking questions, sir."
Angua walked into the firelight. Vimes saw her glance around the circle and squat down on the snow exactly halfway between Carrot and Gavin.
"They"re miles away now. Oh, hello, Mister Vimes."
There was some more silence.
"Is anyone going to tell me something?" said Vimes.
"My family are trying to upset the coronation," said Angua. "They"re working with some dwarfs that don"t want - that want to keep Uberwald separate."
"I think I"ve worked that one out. Running for your life through a freezing cold forest gives you a bit of an insight."
"I have to tell you, sir, my brother killed the clacks signallers. His scent"s all over the place up there."
Gavin made a noise in his throat.
"And another man that Gavin didn"t recognize, except that he spent a lot of time hiding in the forest and watching our castle."