Thud!

Thud! (2005) Terry Pratchett (Discworld)

I think this might be one of my favorite Discworld novels.

Vetinari waved a languid hand. ‘But full carts congesting the street, Vimes, is a sign of progress,’ he declared.

‘Only in the figurative sense, sir,’ said Vimes.

It’s coming up on the anniversary of Koom Valley, and things are getting tense and Anch Morpork.

Deep down grags have come, and although they refuse to see the light of day, they have plenty of influences on the dwarves.

It was written in some holy book, apparently, so that made it okay, and probably compulsory.

‘So how far down does our jurisdiction go, sir?’ said Carrot.

‘What? As far down as we like!’

‘Er, does it say that anywhere, sir?’

And the trolls are just as riled up.

Now the troll looked directly at Vimes. ‘If it was, I would have foun’ out by now. I bin askin’ questions.’

‘So are we.’

‘I bin askin’ questions more louder,’ said the troll. ‘I get lotsa answers. Sometimes I am gettin’ answers to questions I ain’t even asked yet.’

‘Certainly we need to talk to you,’ said Carrot. ‘Do you want a lawyer?’

‘No, I ate already.’

‘You eat lawyers?’ said Carrot.

Brick gave him an empty stare until sufficient brain had been mustered. ‘What d’y’call dem fings, dey kinda crumble when you eat dem?’ he ventured.

Carrot looked at Detritus and Angua, to see if there was going to be any help there.

‘Could be lawyers,’ he conceded.

But most of all, there is Young Sam.

But that was just it. If you could go to five minutes then you’d go to ten, then half an hour, a couple of hours . . . and not see your son all evening. So that was that. Six o’clock, prompt. Every day. Read to Young Sam. No excuses. He’d promised himself that. No excuses. No excuses at all. Once you had a good excuse, you opened the door to bad excuses.

And of course Commander Vimes.

Bashfullsson coughed politely. ‘I don’t think so, commander. This area is too dangerous to fight in.’

‘Well, yes, I can see it would be terrible if anyone got hurt,’ said Vimes,

Publisher: HarperCollins
Rating: 8.5/10

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