SOUNDTRACK: hiatus
[READ: March 2022] Jingo
With a title like Jingo, you know that Terry Pratchett isn’t holding back. And indeed, this is a story about two countries fighting each other over disputed territory–and the unenlightened attitudes that people have about “foreigners.”
What is great about Pratchett is how much he is able to get his point across without being preachy. Some of the unenlightened characters say offensive things, but they are quickly discoruaged from such attitudes–not with bludgeoning and hysteria, but with rational comments. It’s very well done.
But what causes this trouble? Well, out of nowhere, an island has surfaced. The island of Leshp was submerged forever, and suddenly, it floated to the surface amid two fishermen. Solid Jackson of Ankh-Morpork (and his long-suffering son) and Greasy Arif from Al-Khali, the Klatchian capital. They often fought over their prey (the Curious Squid), because they sailed the same waters that were between the two countries.
While this is going on, diplomatic business is occurring in Ankh-Morpork. The prince of Klatch, Khufurah, is in Ankh-Morpork to receive an honorary degree (Doctorum Adamus cum Flabello Dulci) in Sweet Fanny Adams.
Hostilities between A-M and Klatch are high.
Several leaders of the city are there to complain to Lord Vetenari about Klatch. Watch Captain Sam Vimes is there to add a level head and sarcasm. When someone complains that Klatch wouldn’t accept ten boatloads of cabbages, Vimes says out loud to himself “everyone knows caterpillars add to the flavor” and later “Meat is at its best when it’s going green.”
And of course, the Patrician knows his way around diplomacy: “it is no longer considered…nice…to send a warship … to show Johnny Foreigner the error of his ways.”
Later, the Prince meets with Vimes and asks him about the word he’s heard shouted at him: “towelhead.”
Vimes said “It refers to your headdress.”
“Oh it is some kind of obscure joke?”
Of curse, he knows, thought Vimes and he knows I know. “No it’s an insult,” he said eventually.
Ah? Well we certainly cannot be held responsible for the ramblings of idiots, commander. “I must commend you, incidentally”
“I’m sorry?”
“For your breadth of knowledge. I must have asked a dozen people that question this morning and do you know, not one of them knew what it meant. And they all seemed to have caught a cough.”
The Prince is accompanied by 71-hour Ahmed who has a large ceremonial sword with him (he is practically a concealed owner).
As tensions mount and local families are harassed we learn that Corporal Carrot can understand and read Klatch pretty well (I love these details). Vimes is astonished that in such a short time Carrot not only knows everyone, but can understand their language (the font is different for Klathian, which is a nice touch).he Patrician also gets to have some fun with Sam by having him lead the processing that the foreign dignitary is in. And things get even worse after an assassination attempt on the Prince.
The leaders of the city get their jingosim up and decide to oust the Patrician. Lord Rust takes over and instills marital law such that all noble families must revive their old militia regiments.
Upon hearing this, and knowing that Lord Rust is somehow involved with the assassination attempt, every senior officer of the Watch resigns and The Watch is disbanded. Soon after, Vimes–being a nobleman has started his own militia regiment and the watch are not required to join… of course.
Then there is quite a lot of action all heading toward Klatch in different ways.
Angua is kidnapped by 71-hour Ahmed; Nobby and Colon are drafted by Lord Vetinari and Leonard of Quirm who has just created the first submarine, um the Going-Under-The-Water-Safely Device (another fine example for showing that Leonard’s genius does not cover the field of creative naming). The rest of the Watch commandeer a boat to head to Klatch.
The way Pratchett weaves these stories together is just wonderful. There’s a moment earlier in the book where we see Carrot working with two teenage gangs of kids and getting then to play football. That has a nice payoff. As does the fact that 71-hour Ahmed is a policeman and he an Vimes see eye to eye on a lot of things. And finally, that Leonard’s submarine has discovered something very important, which Vetinari uses to his advantage–it sure seems like he has just been arrested (by Sam).
This book also introduces the idea of the trouser legs of time–whichever leg you go down is the path you ultimately choose, but the other leg still exists. Had Vimes chosen a different path (represented by the imp in his Gooseberry dis-organizer) things would have tuned out very differently.
Leave a Reply