Sam Vimes, the commander of the City
Watch, the Duke of Ankh-Morphok, leads an eventful life, full
of
crime, werewolves and other dangers. But right now only one thing
matters to him: the birth of his first child. The only obstacle in
his happiness is a mass murderer, Carcer on the run, who is
threatening the relative peace of Ankh-Morphok. Vimes can''t suppress
the copper inside him and goes after the criminal, while his wife,
the lovely and huge Sybil gives life to their son.
The chase goes as planned, Carcer is
surrounded on the Library of the University of Magic by the whole
Watch, Detritus with his crossbow the Peacemaker, Carrot and the
other watchmen are waiting for Vimes to make the arrest. When he
finally overcomes his enemy as a lest resort Carcer injures him with
a hidden knife. At this moment a thunder strikes the building and the
two men disappears.
They turn up quite close to the
Library, a few blocks away, the problem is the thirty years
difference. Back in the past Carces joins law enforcement too: he
becomes a sergeant in the Unmentionables, the feared and loathed
secret police, the protectors of the
Patrician Lord Winder and the
torturers of the city. Meanwhile strange monks talk to Vimes, the
keepers of history, who tell him what he needs to know about time
travel, about his way back. After their visit Vimes quickly takes
over the watch house of Treacle Mine Road, impersonating sergeant
Keel, his mentor. There he meets his younger self, an impressionable
young man in a bad environment.
Vimes faces tough tasks: he has to
teach young Sam how to be a good copper, a good man, he has to catch
Carcer and he has to cope with the events of a
revolution. He doesn''t
have to do this alone: helping him are his future friends, soon-to-be
Sergeant Colon, the child Nobby Nobbs, the not yet zombie Reg Shoe.
The spirit of the revolution spreads quickly in the city, watch
houses are in flames, the Patrician orders the cavalry to squash the
rebels. There''s only one island of peace in Ankh-Morphok: Treacle
Mine Road.
Barricades are popping up on the
roads, old furnitures are used again. Seeing the disarray on the
streets Vimes takes over the control. Soon they form the Glorious
People''s Republic of Treacle Mine Road, where people want Truth,
Justice, Freedom and a hard-boiled egg(also reasonable priced love).
The Republic is the most protected part of the city, surrounded by
impenetrable barricades and The Shades, where the cavalry won''t go in
fear of losing their horses to lunch. The life in the Republic is
great: deserters from the army are joining in huge numbers, they
control most of the food of Ankh-Morphok and everything else sans the
banks, offices and other not so essential buildings. They defend
valiantly, holding up siege after siege and basically worship Vimes,
who only wanted to keep the peace.
In the palace a coup takes place, the
future Lord Vetinari assassinates Lord Winder and so Snapcase becomes
the new patrician. He promises general amnesty to the Republic, but
showing his true colors he orders Carcer to murder Vimes. Carcer and
his goons outnumber Vimes and the few watchmen(and Reg) who stand by
his side. They clash on the streets, many die on both sides but in
the end the Watch wins the battle. The two time travelers get back to
the present, where Sam Jr. is born.
History is saved, his son is alive,
there is only one loose end for Vimes: Carcer. He doesn''t have to
wait much longer, to have his final confrontation with him. In the
graveyard, where the Commander remembers who sacrificed their lives
for the City and the revolution, Carces tries to kill him. He fails,
and after a short fight Vimes arrests him, so he can rest until the
next adventure finds him.