Help identifying a Discworld novel.

I think I didn’t dream about it…

There’s a Discworld novel where Vetinari ends up in his own dungeons, isn’t it? If I remember correctly, the rats were trained and he could leave any time he wanted to, but he takes his stay there as a sort of “vacation” until he decides that ooooo-k…* it’s time to go get things organized again. Do you guys remember which one it was?

  • Slow “ok”, not to be confused with the Librarian expressing an opinion.

Isn’t it the one with the dragon?

And the guards. I’m reasonably sure there were guards… you mean the one where there was a big dragon?

“Guards, Guards”

I suggest “Guards! Guards!”. First in the Watch subseries and we’re introduced to Vimes, Colon, Nobby, Carrot, and Lady Sybil.

It’s definitely Guards! Guards!

“Rio” by Duran Duran.

Though IIRC, he’s also arrested (legitimately, by Vimes) in The Truth.

No, you’re thinking of* Jingo*. And while Vimes put manacle on him, his time under arrest lasted only about an hour or so and wasn’t actually incarcerated then. Although he did want to be transported in a wossname. A pillory? You know, wagon for transporting prisoners. The one with open sides so the crowd can hurl vegetables and stones and things. But the Watch didn’t have one.

A hurdle IIRC.

But I think Prof Pepperwinkle already nailed the reference in question

A tumbrel.

A pillory is equivalent to stocks. Still useful for hurling stones and vegetables at people, but more stationary.

Thanks to everybody who answered. The funny/curious/whatever thing is, Guards! Guards! was my first Discworld novel, I must have reread it a hundred times, and yet somehow it had gotten jumbled with others to the point that I couldn’t find the cite I really wanted:

“the only thing the good people are good at is overthrowing the bad people. And you’re good at that, I’ll grant you. But the trouble is that it’s the only thing you’re good at. (…) the bad people know how to plan. It’s part of the specification, you might say. (…) The good people don’t seem to have the knack.”

That’s the bunny.