Thief of Time - Store

Then Lobsang said, 'By "cut off his head", you actually mean... ?'

'Sever the head from the body,' said Lu-Tze.

'And,' said Lobsang, still in the tones of one carefully exploring every corner of the haunted cave, 'he doesn't mind?'

'Waal, it's a nuisance,' said the yeti. 'A bit of a paarty trick. But it's okaay, if it helps. The sweeper haas alwaays been a goood friend to us. We owe him faavours.'

'I've tried teaching 'em the Way,' said Lu-Tze proudly.

'Yaas. Ver' usefuul. "A washed pot never boils,"'said the yeti.

Curiosity vied with annoyance in Lobsang's head, and won.

'What have I missed here?' he said. 'You don't die?'

'I doon't die? Wit my head cut off? For laughing! Ho. Ho,' said the yeti. 'Of course I die. But this is not such a sizeaable traansaaction.'

'It took us years to work out what the yetis were up to,' said Lu-Tze. 'Their loops played hob with the Mandala until the abbot worked out how to allow for them. They've been extinct three times.'

'Three times, eh?' said Lobsang. 'That's a lot of times to go extinct. I mean, most species only manage it once, don't they?'

The yeti was entering taller forest now, of ancient pines.

'This'd be a good place,' said Lu-Tze. 'Put us down, sir.'

'And we'll chop your head off,' said Lobsang weakly. 'What am I saying? I'm not going to chop anyone's head off!'

'You heard him say it doesn't worry him,' said Lu-Tze, as they were gently lowered to the ground.

'That's not the point!' said Lobsang hotly.

'It's his head,' Lu-Tze pointed out.

'But I mind!'

'Oh, well, in that case,' said Lu-Tze, 'is it not written, "If you want a thing done properly you've got to do it yourself"?'

'Yaas, it is,' said the yeti.
Lu-Tze took the sword out of Lobsang's hand. He held it carefully, like someone unused to weapons.

The yeti obligingly knelt.

'You're up to date?' said Lu-Tze.

'Yaas.'

'I cannot believe you're really doing this!' said Lobsang.

'Interesting,' said Lu-Tze. 'Mrs Cosmopilite says, "Seeing is believing," and, strangely enough, the Great Wen said, 'I have seen, and I believe"!'

He brought the sword down and cut off the yeti's head.

***

The Thief of Time - p183-185