Captain Lajos Tantony was just as ruggedly handsome as Ponder Stibbons had feared he'd be. He was watchman, after all. They were built like that.
With the exception of Corporal Nobbs. And Sergeant Colon. And, er, Reg Shoe, the Littlebottom fellow Commander Vimes himself...
And perhaps such a blanket statement as the above is not, as such, true on the whole. However, Lajos Tantony was undoubtedly tall, dark, well muscled and constructed, in possession of masculine features and piercing eyes, and currently making Ponder feel quite dumpy and shabby, though that is no particularly difficult feat.
He'd given fair warning about his shyness in person (and received vague warnings in return about an accent of some sort), and was relieved when the Captain made the first move toward any sort of greeting. That meant, at least, he recognized him. Ponder was not unaware that anyone in a pointy hat and robe was difficult not to recognize.
That the Captain hadn't yet said anything was a little intimidating. Ponder wracked his brain. It oughtn't to be so hard, he considered, to speak to someone he'd never spoken to in person before: he'd spoken to the man countless times on the P.C. Other people regularly held conversations with strangers without any such technical help on a daily basis.
The Captain was looking at him expectantly.
Ponder opened his mouth.
"Er..." he said, brilliantly.
"Er..." said the Captain, at the same time.
It was at that exact moment that Ponder knew they'd truly get along famously.
It's not very far back...
With the exception of Corporal Nobbs. And Sergeant Colon. And, er, Reg Shoe, the Littlebottom fellow Commander Vimes himself...
And perhaps such a blanket statement as the above is not, as such, true on the whole. However, Lajos Tantony was undoubtedly tall, dark, well muscled and constructed, in possession of masculine features and piercing eyes, and currently making Ponder feel quite dumpy and shabby, though that is no particularly difficult feat.
He'd given fair warning about his shyness in person (and received vague warnings in return about an accent of some sort), and was relieved when the Captain made the first move toward any sort of greeting. That meant, at least, he recognized him. Ponder was not unaware that anyone in a pointy hat and robe was difficult not to recognize.
That the Captain hadn't yet said anything was a little intimidating. Ponder wracked his brain. It oughtn't to be so hard, he considered, to speak to someone he'd never spoken to in person before: he'd spoken to the man countless times on the P.C. Other people regularly held conversations with strangers without any such technical help on a daily basis.
The Captain was looking at him expectantly.
Ponder opened his mouth.
"Er..." he said, brilliantly.
"Er..." said the Captain, at the same time.
It was at that exact moment that Ponder knew they'd truly get along famously.