Mark Reads ‘Making Money’: Chapter 9, Part I

In the first half of the ninth chapter of Making Money, Adora makes a discovery, which leads Moist to a realization. Intrigued? Then it’s time for Mark to read Discworld. 

I am truly having a blast reading this wacky book, y’all, and I STILL DON’T KNOW WHERE IT’S GOING. I’m nearly 3/4ths of the way through it, and it feels like I’m consistently being surprised at every turn!!! So, let’s just jump right into this.

Cribbins

At this point, Cribbins is still trying to maneuver himself into the perfect place so that he can further exploit Moist. Makes sense! I haven’t quite figured out his intent with Ms. Houser beyond the point stated in this chapter, which very well could be the purpose. I’m so used to everything having a million different layers and meanings that I kept waiting for there to be another one with Ms. Houser or that god-of-the-month club that she is a part of. But I’m realizing I might have been reading too deeply because… well, Cribbins just needed a place to stay. As he states:

The evening air was sharp and unwelcoming after the warmth of the newspaper room, and made the prospect of another night in the flophouse in Monkey Street seem doubly unwelcome. He needed his own miracle right now, and he had a feeling that one was shaping up right here. 

He saw someone he could use and exploit in Ms. Houser, and that’s probably the explanation for that comment about her maiden name. He knew she wasn’t married any longer, so he probably wanted to prey on her loneliness, or her desire for companionship, or, as we see here, her simple desire to just do good in the world. And right as he is setting up Ms. Houser to feel compelled to offer him housing, goddamn Heretofore shows up and whisks Cribbins away, and I AM FRUSTRATED. Oh no, the Lavishes are going to find out the truth about Moist and try to expose him, right? Or blackmail him? In this, there’s a direct parallel to Mr. Bent, who they already did this to. It’s how they operate! It’s how they use their power to get what they want! And this is a legitimate threat to Moist, too, and he knows it. So… how the hell is Moist going to get out of this? The Times piece isn’t even out yet, and what if Cosmo uses further info on Moist to destroy him in the press? THIS BOOK IS BOTH FUN AND IMMENSELY STRESSFUL.

Toys

HI, WHAT THE HELL. Oh my god, “Mr. Fusspot’s Magic Toys.” WHY IS THIS BOOK LIKE THIS. I truly can’t recall even one detail that hinted at Joshua’s hidden proclivities. I suppose that’s the point! It’s something he kept entirely to himself, except, I guess, with the people he invited into his life to partake in such… activities? But I’m wondering if there’s something else that Pratchett is going to do with this. I can’t ignore that there are multiple characters at this point—Mr. Bent, Moist, Joshua, Cribbins—who have complicated or messy or potentially controversial pasts. Some are a mystery, and all of these characters could stand to lose everything if their pasts came to light.

So is this something that Moist is going to use to either direct attention elsewhere or to embarrass the Lavish family? Hell, would that even work? They’re rich! Most people dislike them or are disinterested in them anyway. Of course, there’s another possibility: I’m reading way too much into this, and while there’s a parallel to other characters, it’s mostly a joke so that Mr. Fusspot can run off with a new toy that is… a toy. Intended for something else. THIS IS A GREAT JOKE, 100% GREAT CONTENT, WOULD BE TOTALLY FINE IF THIS IS NEVER EXPLORED IN MORE DEPTH BEYOND MR. FUSSPOT HAVING A SEX TOY AS A CHEW TOY.

I feel like there’s a much more important discovery here, though! Joshua Lavish has been keeping diaries for DECADES. Oh my god, there’s got to be SO MUCH incredible information in those things. And I love that as soon as Moist sees them, he’s like, “Oh shit, I bet Joshua wrote about Mr. Bent.” YES. GREAT THINKING. Do we get to find out? Oh, definitely not, and I’m convinced that I will be strung along until the very last second. But lord, this is so, so exciting, and it continues to leave me feeling elated every time I read this book. It’s not like I haven’t been having fun reading this series, but this book in particular feels well-suited to being broken up like this, if only because y’all get to see me suffer. EVERY REVIEW.

Where’s the Gold?

This also confuses me!!! Because, as we see in the last scene of this split, the bullion is still in the vault. Unless this is talking about a different vault of gold? Mr. Bent didn’t leave the vault with any of the gold, so why does the Glooper say the gold is gone????

WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING IN THIS BOOK.

The Break-In

Y’all, this is one of my favorite jokes/exchanges in this whole book:

“It Does Not Say Anything About Dusting Under The Floor In Lady Waggon’s Book Of Household Management.”

“Gladys, a man may be dying under there!”

“I See. That Would Be Untidy.” The beams rattled under a blow. “Lady Waggon Says That Any Bodies Found During A Weekend Party Should Be Disposed Of Discreetly, In Case Of Scandal.”

WHAT THE HELL IS IN THAT BOOK. Oh my god, I love Gladys so much. LIFTING UP THE FLOOR. Dusting UNDER the floor! SHE IS PERFECT, PROTECT HER AT ALL COSTS.

I genuinely don’t know what’s gonna happen. Still. Oh, shit, is Mr. Bent going to finally tell Moist the truth about his past? He’s in a vulnerable state, and Moist just saved him from suffocating in that bank vault. Soooooo… maybe????? 

I’m desperate. So desperate!

https://youtu.be/VL6rH2BsnVM

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– The paperback edition of my debut, ANGER IS A GIFT, is now up for pre-order! It comes out on May 7, 2019. If you’d like to stay up-to-date on all announcements regarding my books, sign up for my newsletter! DO IT.