Mark Reads ‘Night Watch’: Part 18

In the eighteenth part of Night Watch, pieces are moved into place. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Discworld.

This part felt like a necessary part of a chess game, and I can recognize that this is both brief and important. These characters need to be in certain spots before the end sequence (WHICH I MUST BE SO CLOSE TO), and this “part” isn’t the intended reading experience. My lovely split friends—FarashaSilver and rukbat3—helped pick this out. So, take what I’m saying with a grain of salt! I know that this isn’t the most exciting batch of scenes, but LOOK WHAT CAME BEFORE IT.

Still, it’s important! I loved that we were forced to think about the logistical ramification of the barricades and the war in Ankh-Morpork. It all happened so quickly that it’s not like news could have traveled to all the traders heading for the city. And what were they supposed to do, anyway? Many of them had products that needed to be off-loaded, so it’s not like there were viable options other than taking it back or leaving it wherever they could.

So, while Vimes is damn near close to an existential crisis while thinking about this, does the rest of the city move on, two? Is there anyone else thinking about this? Not particularly, though this is not the world of Vetinari. And this made me appreciate just how much Vetinari is able to keep in his head. The machinery of Ankh-Morpork works so well when he’s in charge, you know? Without him, chaos reigns. I’m realizing now that this is yet another reason why Vimes’s work is so important. He’s got to set Ankh-Morpork on the path to Vetinari, too!

No pressure, of course.

Let’s take a moment with this, though:

“Hegglers? What the hell are hegglers?”

“Egg marketers, sir.”

I TRULY HATE THIS, IT IS SO GOOD, I AM FURIOUS. I just… how do people think of these things? How did Pratchett do it OVER AND OVER AGAIN?

Anyway, it’s time to talk politics. I found it hilarious that as soon as Major realized that this situation was “political,” that meant he could escalate it to the lords of Ankh-Morpork. Y’all, I already thought this was going to be a mess, but I was unaware of just how messy this was gonna be. I still haven’t figured out how Madam Meserole and Vetinari will ultimately affect the outcome of all of this, but I can tell they’re vital to the story, you know? For example: the fact that there are so many people who aren’t friends of Winder in the party she is at feels like something she can exploit. Lord Snapcase is supposed to come next, so is she going to leverage Winder’s enemies against him?

And how the hell is Selachii going to try to stop the barricade? Was he originally a part of this, or is this a new development? I can’t actually tell! But I worry about every new variable; each of them presents a problem for Vimes, and it makes it harder for him to stick to the monks’ plan or to save people from dying.

I am still quite nervous about where this is heading, y’all.

https://youtu.be/GGhJxG2JCpk

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