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Wells comes in from the back door, a large black and white Malamute at his heels. The dog may look familiar to people who know Zuko at all, or then again, maybe not. She usually looks happier than this.

He stops at the Bar to get himself breakfast and the dog a bowl of something decent to eat, then looks around for a spot to sit.

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"Oh, yeah," says Wells. "That'd be Sergeant Angua. She's told me a bit about the place. Sounds like it'd be interesting to visit."

He'd have to take a few days to get used to the smell, most likely, but after that? Sure.

"It certainly is interesting," Jocasta admits with a small laugh. "I like the city."

"That where you grew up, or did your family just send you there for schooling?" Wells asks. "I'm city-born myself, but Annie's family's from farm country."

"It's where the school is," she confesses. "My family live just outside Quirm. It's not too far."

"Can't say I've ever heard of Quirm," Wells admits. "Then again you've probably never heard of where Annie's folks are from, so I expect we're about even."

Jocasta laughs again. "No, Mr. Wells, I'm jolly sure I wouldn't have. It's all very complicated around here."

"So I've noticed," Wells says. "Still, it's an interesting place for all of that."

"It is, isn't it?" she says, cheerily. "Never a dull moment, certainly."

"Oh, definitely not." Wells grins. "I've got to get that football game goin'- there's a decent pitch out back, and I'd like to see how some of the people hereabouts play. Seems the game's out there in all kinds of worlds."

Which is more than the Yanks can say for their mutant version.

"I'm afraid I don't play," Jocasta admits. "Sorry I can't help."

"Nah, it's all right," says Wells. "Just somethin' to pass the time when I'm not practisin' or getting ready for going home. Annie's not much on the sport either, tell you the truth."

""It's nice to have a hobby," Jocasta decides. "I've been spending some time out in the stables, myself. I do like horses."

"Yeah? Good for you," Wells says. "Been workin' as a farrier's assistant the past few months. Good animals, horses. Not the brightest out there, but loads better than cattle, or sheep."

"Oh, I think they're bright," Jocasta disagrees. "They really seem to understand you. Dragons are my favourite, mind, and they really can be stupid sometimes."

"Well, there's that," Wells concedes. "They're usually none too happy to see me, so that might be part of it. Don't like the smell of me." He frowns curiously. "Dragons, though? They common in Ankh-Morpork?"

"Fairly," Jocasta says. "The hatchlings are popular as pets, but peope aren't generally willing to look after them when they get older, poor things. I have a Tabby Cowper cobb at school. He really is the sweetest thing."

"I'm guessin' that's one of the breed names?" Wells says. "No dragons in my part of the world, I'm afraid. Little lizards you buy at a shop and maybe they've got 'baby dragon' slapped on the front of the tank or the cage, but they're nothin' like the real thing."

"They don't breathe fire or fly?"

Or explode?

The first two are disappointing to Jocasta. "That's an awful shame. They are beautiful animals. Maybe if i ever get back to my world, I'll bring Hermes back with me. He'd love to see this place."

"'fraid not. Where I come from, if you want a flying pet, you've got to settle for a bird or a sugar glider or somethin' like that. Saw a bloke at the zoo with this flying snake thing once, but they're not pets." Wells nods. "Be interesting to see him- how big do these dragons get, anyway?"

Best to find out before it turns out they're the size of ponies.

"Cowpers can get to be quite big," Jocasta explains. "Hermes is about three and a half feet, snout to tail." She hodls her hands out to approximate the size.

"Ah," says Wells, relaxing. He glances down at the dog for comparison, but she's busy chewing on something of a rawhidey nature and doesn't look back. "Yeah, there's pet lizards that size at home, but they're just tree-climbers. No fire, no wings. Dunno what people see in 'em, they've got to keep 'em in the tub just to have space for 'em, but there you go."

"I imagine any animal has its fanciers," Jocasta allows. "I don't particularly like cats, myself."

Wells nods. "Never was much fond of cats either," he says. "Dogs, yeah- couldn't always have one, 'cos there's not much room for the breeds I like in Army housing, but still."

"Dogs, I like," Jocasta agrees, reaching to pet Xu Ning again. "My mother bred them at home."

This is pleasing to Xu Ning; her tail waves like a big fuzzy white banner. Wells just smiles. "What sort?" he inquires. "I dunno if I'll recognise the breed name, but if you c'n describe what they look like, or what they do-"