allegedly, lord downey's preferred method of inhumation is poisoning, though no deaths have yet been attributed to him. pratchett suggests this is probably because he is very good at his job. his special recipe for humbugs, submitted to nanny ogg, calls for "arsenic to taste", though, since arsenic is actually very traceable, this is likely a slight bit of misinformation on his part. one current tradition he maintains is inviting certain students to his office for sherry and an almond slice. given the nature of most assassins' guild traditions, this could be seen as a kind of impromptu "pass or fail" examination (see bitter almonds for the reason why).