Vimes, perhaps surprisingly, didn't take this as a joke. "Back home, we had provisional officers. Strictly civilian, mark you- but volunteers who could be called on in cases of extreme emergency. Could be that'd be a good idea here. As for your second question- yes. If you can't find anything else- if you haven't got a cosh or a knuckle-duster or even so much as a beer bottle, your bare 'ands will have to do. Learn to use them, 'cos if it comes down to it and you get killed because some bloody fool wanted to stick to Marquess of Fantaylor- er, wanted to fight honorably- it's your captain or your commander who's going to have to tell your next of kin what 'appened."