In the twelfth part of Jingo, Angua’s decision affects everyone in a way she could never possibly imagine. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Discworld.Â
OH MY GOD WHAT HAS THIS BOOK TURNED INTO. I feel like I’ve said that a lot with Jingo, but that’s because this book has consistently shocked me with plot twists. It keeps happening! I keep being TOTALLY NOT READY for each one, and it’s a lot of fun. So, let’s talk about the latest development.
Angua
I was so excited, y’all. I was so ready to read about Angua, the werewolf spy, and we’d learn who was with 71-Hour Ahmed, and it would be Very Surprising but make A Lot of Sense. Instead, HE KNEW. 71-HOUR AHMED KNEW. How the hell??? I don’t even understand how that’s possible, y’all. I guess I assumed that the Klatchians really DIDN’T know what werewolves were, so that’s my bad. I WAS WRONG, ANGUA WAS WRONG, EVERYTHING IS WRONG. So who is that other person 71-Hour Ahmed was talking to? HOW DID HE KNOW???
Vimes Makes a Choice
Pratchett makes an interesting narration choice here. He pulls away from Vimes after Vimes has decided to go after Angua, and he reveals to the reader that the world has split in two. There’s the universe where Vimes stayed behind, and there’s the world we’re in now, where Vimes made this choice. And my god, what a huge choice it is. It’s amazing to me how quickly we’re shown the ramifications of this, but let’s first acknowledge this:
He ought to stay here, and do the best he could.
But… history was full of the bones of good men who’d followed bad orders in the hope that they could soften the blow. Oh, yes, there were worse things they could do, but most them began right where they started following bad orders.
Vimes was given his orders, and he threw them away for Angua. For someone Carrot cared about deeply. For someone who’s been one of the best members of the Watch. And because deep down, Vimes is one thing: a thief-taker. This is what he does, and it’s what he’s always going to do. IT IS SO PURE AND I LOVE IT. He and the rest of the Watch ditch the Watch house and head out to the docks to secure a boat, which they do from CAPTAIN JENKINS, in one of my absolute favorite callbacks to an earlier moment in a Discworld book Who else would most likely have contraband that Vimes could exploit in order to get a ship? Definitely Jenkins, and surprise! He totally does!
I can’t imagine not being entertained by Vimes twisting the rules to take other people down. IT’S SO SATISFYING.
“And… I’d be happy to… lend my boat to the war effort,” said Jenkins, sweating.
“A true patriot,” said Vimes.
Bless this man.
Escalation
Yet Vimes’s decision to head after Angua has an unintended consequence. Lord Rust is spying on Vimes, finds out he’s heading to the docks, and wrongly assumes this means that Vimes is trying to fight the Klatchians first. Which… okay, on one level, that’s not exactly a bad hypothesis. Vimes is petty as hell, so it’s possible. But in a spectacular set of misunderstandings, Lord Rust assumes the worst of Vimes. Therefore, he decides to send his regiment/army out to attack Klatch, which in turn makes the Klatchians realize that war is imminent, and NEITHER OF THEM REALIZE THAT VIMES AND VETINARI ARE HEADING TO LESHP.
Just in terms of comedic chaos, I am SO EXCITED to see how this is all going to collide. But the neat thing about Jingo is that there’s just as much social commentary as there is humor, and it’s all some of the best shit that Pratchett has produced.
Can y’all tell that I like this book a lot. CAN YOU.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZFDJ7_Ej7M
Mark Links Stuff
– I am now on Patreon! There are various levels of support, from $1 up to whatever you want! You’ll get to read a private blog, extra reviews, and other such rewards. I POST A LOT OF CUTE PHOTOS, OKAY. Think of it like a private Tumblr blog that only SPECIAL PEOPLE get to read.
– I have updated my list of conventions and events for the remainder of the year and much of next year.  Check the full list of events on my Tour Dates / Appearances page.
– My Master Schedule is updated for the near and distant future for most projects, so please check it often. My next Double Features for Mark Watches have been announced here.
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