Interesting Times Trivia

1. When the Agatean Empire requested that Ankh-Morpork send "The Great Wizzard" to them, how did the faculty at the Unseen University know that they meant Rincewind?

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: Rincewind's hat was embroidered with the word "Wizzard"

The Archchancellor of the Unseen University, Mustrum Ridcully, had been summoned to see Lord Vetinari, the ruler of Ankh-Morpork, because Vetinari had received a message from the Agatean Empire via an albatross. Rather, he HADN'T received a message from the Agatean Empire and it DIDN'T come via an albatross, but never mind. The message said "Send us instantly the Great Wizzard". Vetinari didn't want to mess with the Agatean Empire, so he wanted Ridcully's assistance in sending a wizard to them by tea time. The spelling of the word "wizzard" was familiar to Ridcully, although he couldn't place it, but the librarian at the Unseen University, who had been transformed into an orangutan in a prior novel, remembered where the word appeared: Rincewind's pointy hat, with the word "WIZZARD" embroidered in sequins on it, had been sitting on a shelf in the library. "What kind of sad, hopeless person needs to write WIZZARD on their hat?" asked Ridcully. When the faculty located Rincewind and teleported him back to the university, they had their confirmation: He was wearing a hat made out of coconut leaves and bamboo with the word "WIZZARD" on it, written in seashells.

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: 2,300,009

Rincewind makes sure that along with the Four Horsemen of Death, War, Famine and Pestilence the invisible horsemen of Misinformation, Rumor and Gossip get a workout, too.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: Lord Hong

The Agatean Empire bore a strong resemblance to China, and it was ruled by an elderly emperor. Five lords from the five great families were jockeying to replace the emperor: Lords Hong, Sung, Tang, Fang and McSweeney. Rincewind asked about the latter name and was told that it was an old, established family in the empire. Lord Hong had one of his servants, Two Fire Herb, send the message. Two Fire Herb was working as a spy for Lord Hong; he had infiltrated the Red Army and kept Lord Hong apprised of their activities. Lord Hong knew that the Red Army believed in the legend of a "Great Wizard", and he also knew about a "Great Wizzard" in Ankh-Morpork, thanks to a book that had been circulating among the rebels, so he wanted to bring Rincewind to the empire to lead the them. His goal was to kill the existing emperor and take his place, and then blame the death on the rebels.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: A dog-shaped cannon

The Barking Dog in question belonged to Lord Hong. When it arrived at the Unseen University, only Ponder Stibbons identified the object as an explosive; he was the wizard who had created the computer responsible for the calculations that sent Rincewind to the Counterweight Continent. The other faculty members closely examined the brass "statue of a dog with a big mouth", and Archchancellor Ridcully had even stuck his head into the dog's mouth and noted that there was a big round ball inside. Stibbons finally told them he thought it was a type of firework, and they let him extinguish the fuse. At the end of the story, when Rincewind was yanked back to the Unseen University via magic, the Barking Dog was returned to the Counterweight Continent (after being re-lit, because the faculty wanted to return it in the same condition they received it), killing both Lord Hong and Saveloy, the would-be barbarian.

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: Truckle the Uncivil

Mr. Saveloy ("Teach" to the Horde) is berating them for not having learned to read and write, which is as alien to them as the Lost City of Ee.

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: Fishbone in his gruel

Gosbar the Wake died in bed. Crowdie the Strong discovered that the Terrible Man-eating Sloth of Clup really does guard the giant ruby of a mad snake-god. Organdy Sluggo died of metal poisoning; three swords through the stomach can do that.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: They were children.

When Rincewind was captured and brought to the Red Army headquarters, he looked around at the faces watching him and asked "Who are all these children?" Not only were they children, the majority of their rebel activities consisted of putting up slightly impolite posters with slogans like "Slightly Bad Things Please Happen To Our Enemies". Butterfly explained to Rincewind that they were new to rebellion and since they didn't have experience, they took small steps. An exasperated Rincewind pointed out to them that they wouldn't succeed by "singing songs and putting up posters".

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: The Magic Kingdom of Scrumptiousness

The first dwarf member of the Thieve's Guild to appear in the 'Discworld' novels. Rincewind returned to his room just in time.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: Twoflower

Rincewind had received a copy of the book from Saveloy. It was really just a bunch of papers sewn together, and he shoved it in his pocket and didn't actually look at it until he was in a tavern. Upon seeing it in Rincewind's hands, the tavern owner immediately assumed he was part of the rebel group. Rincewind skimmed through the book and realized that it was about the adventures that he had had when Twoflower, the disk's first tourist, had visited Ankh-Morpork. Rincewind later was reunited with his old traveling buddy when he ended up in the cell next to Twoflower in the empire dungeon. He found out that the rebels, Lotus Blossom and Butterfly, were Twoflower's daughters and that Mrs. Twoflower had been killed as collateral damage when Lord Hong had a battle with Lord Tang in Bes Pelargic.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: Eunuchs

After the horde had entered the city by pretending to be mad and killing a guard, Saveloy took them shopping for clothes, since they couldn't very well sneak into the palace wearing leather and chain mail. Unbeknownst to his fellow horde members, the clothes were actually the attire of eunuchs, which Saveloy thought was the best disguise for them since they couldn't pass for guards or bureaucrats. The horde found out that they were dressed as eunuchs thanks to Six Beneficent Winds, the tax collector who had joined their cause (rather than die). When Saveloy tried to explain that it was "an honor to be a eunuch in the Forbidden City [because] many of them occupy very exalted positions", Truckle threatened him, "Then prepare yourself for high office, Teacher!"

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: Small range of mountains near the Hub

In English slang, the nadgers are indeed the testicles. Perhaps Caleb has just forgotten that.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: Terra cotta warriors

Rincewind didn't like the odds - seven old men against hundreds of thousands of warriors - so he tried to use psychological tactics to gain the edge. He started a rumor that an earlier rumor about vampire soldiers wasn't true (which convinced the warriors that there actually WERE vampire soldiers), and it spread like wildfire throughout the warrior camps. Deciding his work was done, he took off to find a safe place away from the battlefield, but he ended up falling into an underground chamber where he encountered the giant terra cotta warriors. He also found a magic helmet, magic gloves and magic boots, and with them, he was able to animate the warriors and lead them into battle.

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: Barking Dogs

When the Wizards at Unseen University send Rincewind to the Agatean Empire, a Barking Dog is the item which trades places with him. It arrives with a burning string, which they extinguish because they don't know why someone would want to burn it. At the end of the novel, when they try to retrieve Rincewind, they send the Barking Dog back and wonder if they did the right thing lighting the string again. Goodbye Lord Hong.

From Quiz Terry Pratchett's "Interesting Times"

Answer: A female Luggage

It turned out that the Agatean Empire was the Luggage's native land. When it followed Rincewind to the Counterweight Continent, it went off in search of a mate, and it found one in a Luggage corral outside of an inn. Three big Luggages had cornered an ornate box up against the corral fence, and Rincewind's Luggage would have none of that. It attacked and battered the three chests, and the rest of the Luggage in the corral took off. The Luggage met up with Rincewind later in the city, and he was accompanied by Mrs. Luggage (at least, Rincewind took it to be a female since you really can't tell with Luggage, but it did have painted toenails). After Rincewind was whisked away at the end of the story, the Luggage, Mrs. Luggage and four little chests briefly met up with Twoflower before the Luggage left its family and apparently headed off in search of Rincewind.

From Quiz 'Interesting Times' Random Questions

Answer: Six Beneficient Winds

Although he is originally coerced into this role by the bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, he eventually comes under their charismatic influence and volunteers to become their accountant.

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