roruna (roruna) wrote in roads_diverged, @ 2009-01-26 00:44:00 |
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Vimes had expected that Sam would ask if all he cared about was the job but he didn’t. He just nodded and stood up slowly. They walked out of the watch house into the street. The events that followed while important will only be summarized. The barricade was pushed forward, the
So she didn’t notice that Sam was being cold to her. She didn’t notice until morning when Rosie and Miss Battye were making a hard-boiled egg for Vimes. Sam looked at the egg in the boiling water and heard Rosie ask, “How do you suppose he likes his eggs?” Without a thought or pause Sam answered. “The yolk still slightly runny. And some toast, cut into soldiers.” Sybil started toasting some bread and added another egg to the boiling water. “Is that how you like your egg too, Sam?”
Sam looked away from her. Sybil tilted her head. “Sam?” She put her hand on his shoulder and Sam moved away from her. “Sam, what’s the matter with you? You’ve been really quiet since you got back.” Ah, how quickly boys learn to be jerks. Sam shrugged. “Nothing’s the matter. I just don’t feel like playing house.” Miss Battye, Rosie and Sybil looked at each other in confusion. Miss Battye shook her head and took the bucket with the eggs in it and walked away. Rosie wandered away quietly.
Sybil crossed her arms and glared at Sam. “Do you want to explain what you mean by that, Samuel Vimes?” Sam glared right back at Sybil. “It means I don’t need you to cook my eggs or cut my toast. I don’t need you for anything so stop fussing over me.” Sybil snorted. “I wasn’t fussing over you. You’re acting stupid.”
“Sorry about that, miss. I don’t have a fancy education like you. I’m just some dumb guard.”
“Oh I see what you’re doing.”
“Really? What am I doing?”
“You’re picking a fight with me.” Realization dawned. “You’re trying to break up with me, aren’t you?”
Sam rolled his eyes. Sybil threw a piece of toast at him. “I can’t believe you! Why? One minute, you’re sweet as pie and the next minute you act like you can’t stand the sight of me! You’ve barely said two words to me since we were fooling around in the watch…” More realization dawned. “You… you… You Creep! You were just being nice to me so you could… you could… Gods, I can’t believe you! I really thought you were a nice boy!”
Sam avoided her eyes and bit his tongue. He really wanted to tell her that wasn’t true but sometimes you have to be cruel to be kind. Sybil slapped him. When Sam looked at her, her eyes were starting to water. “So that’s it? You had your fun and now you’re going to just toss me aside, huh? Argh, I’m such an idiot. I can’t believe I fell for your charms.” Now Sam really had to say something. “What the hell are you talking about? What charm? I’m the biggest loser there is!”
Sybil wagged a finger at him. “That’s what I’m talking about! That little harmless act you pull. Your ‘oh, I’m just an awkward, lovable simpleton, you can trust me, I don’t have it in me to be hurtful’… thing!” Sam laughed desperately. “That’s not an act! I am awkward and simple.”
“Ok, so maybe you weren’t just trying to get me into bed. So what, were you trying to seduce me to get to my father’s money but you got scared at the last minute?”
“No! I was just…” Sam never did finish what he was saying because at that moment, the sky went dark suddenly and when he looked up, hundreds of arrows were flying through the air. “Shit!” Sam tackled Sybil to the ground and they both crawled quickly under a cart. He thought he heard Vimes shout “That was my egg, you bastard!” But he pushed all thoughts from his mind, except seek cover, of course.
Sam looked up and saw Vimes at the top of the barricade. He smiled at Sybil for a second and then ran to the barricade, leaving her alone. Sybil looked around and saw that some of the old ladies were standing just behind the barricade pushing spears and other unpleasant implements through the gaps and Reg Shoe was throwing steaks over the barricade. She got up and ran to the grannies. “Hey! Give me one of those!” A granny tossed Sybil a fire poker and Sybil jammed it in with all her weight.
She looked up and saw Vimes and Sam strike some soldiers with their truncheons and it occurred to her how similar they were. But then there was some more movement and suddenly, she couldn’t see Sam or Vimes anywhere. She looked around the parapet frantically and saw a grapnel shot over the barricade and catch a watchman in the stomach. Her heart stopped. She dropped the fire poker and ran toward him. When she got closer she saw that the watchman was tall… very tall, too tall to be Sam and she started to breath again.
Vimes and Wiglet exchanged some words that Sybil didn’t hear and Wiglet dragged the watchman, who she remembered was called Nancyball, away. Then suddenly it was over. Sybil saw Vimes talk to one of the soldiers on the other side of the barricade. Some people laughed after he said something and then some soldiers were allowed through to collect their wounded. Sam walked up to Vimes and they started to talk.
Sybil was so relieved that Sam was all right and she almost ran to him but something stopped her. She watched them talk from a distance. They even stood the same way. Sybil found herself wondering what Sam would look like in thirty years time and couldn’t shake the feeling that all he’d be missing would be the eye patch. She watched as people started dismantling the barricade and heard someone say that Lord Winder was dead and Snapcase was now the Patrician.
She should have been relieved and she was… a little. But with Winder gone that meant that everything would calm down and she’d have to go home. She was starting to understand what Sam had been doing. It wouldn’t work between them. Her father would never approve of Sam. He’d say things like ‘classes can’t mix’ or ‘he’s just a poor guard’. Which was true of course but that didn’t mean it was right. What did she need with more money or titles? She had that already but she wouldn’t have Sam.
She started to help with dismantling the barricade, anything to stay near Sam for a little longer. They didn’t speak. They’d just look at each other and smile shyly occasionally. There was a little dog that once thought or will think how between humans, sex can happen even when they’re sitting on opposite sides of the room and still fully dressed. Some of the watchmen were talking about what would happen with Snapcase in charge. Would there be any extra money? Would there be any medals? Or would they get into trouble over this? Someone mentioned an amnesty. There was some more talking and then suddenly no one said anything.
“But Nancyball didn’t win.”
“We lost five men in all. Two got hit by arrows, one fell off the barricade and one cut his own throat by accident. It happens.”
That was a really horrible way to die, thought Sybil. There would be no one to blame but yourself.
“Did Nancyball have a mum?”
Sybil looked to see who asked that. It was Sam. Some part of Sybil’s brain wondered what kind of teenager asked something like that. That seemed like a question that… someone older would ask. Like a Sergeant, a Captain, a leader of men. Then Sybil knew that Sam wasn’t just some simple guard who wasn’t good enough for her. He was a leader of men, maybe not right now but it was just a matter of time. It was unfortunate that her father would probably never see that.
She really should say something to him before she had to go back home. Something like ‘I love you’ or ‘Social rank doesn’t matter’ but Vimes beat her to Sam. He said, “Get ready… Something’s going to happen…” Vimes looked around carefully. Sybil noticed that he seemed to go all cold. Then things went insane again. Wiglet was shot through the chest and then Vimes shouted, “In here!” Thirty people obeyed his command, included Sybil.
When everyone stopped running, Sybil looked around and saw that she was inside some knitting shop. Then Vimes said, “Who are all these people?” Sybil laughed for a moment but then felt bad about it. Someone said it was raining arrows outside. Sybil was not remotely surprised. Then there was mention of a back door out of the shop and for some reason everyone suddenly wanted to buy mushrooms… After a few more minutes, everyone was rushing out the back door to the shop that led into a smelly alley.
Then someone in a very playful voice that sent chills down Sybil’s spine said. “I got you now, Duke.” Everyone started running as another arrow was shot into the crowd. Mr. Dibbler was right, it really was impossible to swim against the tide. If Sybil or anyone else had bothered to look back, they would have seen Carcer smile his happy smile. He said to himself, “I think Hogswatch has come early for me, if that girl is who I think she is.”