tp.wyrd sisters-第60部分

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ake　the　guild　leaders　responsible　for　enforcing　it；　on　pain　of　being　stripped　of　their　new　civic　honours　along　with　large　areas　of　their　skins。　It　worked。　Criminals；　it　turned　out；　made　a　very　good　police　force；　unauthorised　robbers　soon　found；　for　example；　that　instead　of　a　night　in　the　cells　they　could　now　expect　an　eternity　at　the　bottom　of　the　river。
　
　However；　there　was　the　problem　of　apportioning　the　crime　statistics；　and　so　there　arose　a　plex　system　of　annual　budgeting；　chits　and　allowances　to　see　that　a）　the　members　could　make　a　reasonable　living　and　b）　no　citizen　was　robbed　or　assaulted　more　than　an　agreed　number　of　times。　Many　foresighted　citizens　in　fact　arranged　to　get　an　acceptable　minimum　of　theft；　assault；　etc；　over　at　the　beginning　of　the　financial　year；　often　in　the　privacy　and　fort　of　their　own　homes；　and　thus　be　able　to　walk　the　streets　quite　safely　for　the　rest　of　the　year。　It　all　ticked　over　extremely　peacefully　and　efficiently；　demonstrating　once　again　that　pared　to　the　Patrician　of　Ankh；　Machiavelli　could　not　have　run　a　whelk　stall。　
　
　＇19＇　Because　of　the　way　time　was　recorded　among　the　various　states；　kingdoms　and　cities。　After　all；　when　over　an　area　of　a　hundred　square　miles　the　same　year　is　variously　the　Year　of　the　Small　Bat；　and　Anticipated　Monkey；　the　Hunting　Cloud；　Fat　Cows；　Three　Bright　Stallions　and　at　least　nine　numbers　recording　the　time　since*　assorted　kings；　prophets；　and　strange　events　were　either　crowned；　born　or　happened；　and　each　year　has　a　different　number　of　months；　and　some　of　them　don't　have　weeks；　and　one　of　them　refuses　to　accept　the　day　as　a　measure　of　time；　the　only　thing　it　is　possible　to　be　sure　of　is　that　good　sex　doesn't　last　long　enough。？
　
　*　The　calendar　of　the　Theocracy　of　Muntab　counts　down；　not　up。　No…one　knows　why；　but　it　might　not　be　a　good　idea　to　hang　around　and　find　out。
　
　？　Except　for　the　Zabingo　tribe　of　the　Great　Nef；　of　course。　
　
　＇20＇　The　observant　will　realise　that　this　was　because　the　king　was　already　seated　there。　It　was　not　because　the　man　had　used　the　phrase　'mence　to　start'　in　cold　blood。　But　it　ought　to　have　been。　
　
　＇21＇　Like　Bognor。　
　
　＇22＇　At　least；　of　supervising　the　loading。　Actual　physical　assistance　was　a　little　difficult　because　he　had；　the　day　before；　slipped　on　something　and　broken　his　leg。　
　
　＇23＇　There　is　a　school　of　thought　that　says　that　witches　and　wizards　can　never　go　home。　They　went；　though；　just　the　same。　



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