“It was all in pennies and ha’pennies, sir. I’m amazed his trousers stood the strain. And I have cunningly detected the fact that he was a showman, sir. He had some cards in his pocket, sir. ‘Chas Slumber, Children’s Entertainer’.”

“I suppose no one saw anything?” said Vimes.

“Well, sir,” said Sergeant Colon helpfully, “I told young Constable Carrot to find some witnesses.”

“You asked Corporal Carrot to investigate a murder? All by himself?” said Vimes.

The sergeant scratched his head.

“And he said to me, did I know anyone very old and seriously ill?”

And on the magical Discworld, there is always one guaranteed witness to any homicide (и на магическом Плоском Мире всегда есть гарантированно один свидетель любого убийства; homicide – убийство). It’s his job (это его работа).

Constable Carrot, the Watch’s youngest member (самый молодой член), often struck people as simple (часто производил на людей впечатление простака). And he was (и он был = таким он и был). He was incredibly simple (он был невероятно прост), but in the same way that a sword is simple (но в той же мере, как прост меч), or an ambush is simple (или как проста засада). He was also possibly the most linear thinker (он был, возможно, самым прямолинейным мыслителем) in the history of the universe (в истории вселенной).

He’d been waiting by the bedside of an old man (он ждал у постели старика), who’d quite enjoyed the company (который был рад компании). And now it was time to take out his notebook (и сейчас было самое время достать свою записную книжку).

“Now I know you saw something (итак, я знаю, что вы видели что-то), sir,” he said. “You were there (вы были там).”

WELL, YES, said Death. I HAVE TO BE (МНЕ ПРИХОДИТСЯ БЫТЬ), YOU KNOW. BUT THIS IS VERY IRREGULAR (НО ЭТО ОЧЕНЬ НЕОБЫЧНО).