#11 'Reaper Man': Dead Men Walking Quiz

Answer: A sand timer

In the 'Discworld' novels, everyone had a sand timer. The characters lived their lives as the sand poured from the top bulb into the bottom one. Originally, Death's timer was empty. At the beginning of 'Reaper Man', he received a new, golden timer as a retirement present. The new one had sand pouring through it: Death's life was about to end.

Answer: Miss Flitworth

Death responded to a 'MAN WANTED' notice. Miss Flitworth had put the sign up over a year ago, but nevertheless she hired him for sixpence a week. He was to sleep in the barn, but was allowed in the farmhouse for meals. With her help, Death came up with the name 'Bill Door'. He soon set to work cutting the hay with a scythe - one blade at a time.

Answer: A horse

Miss Flitworth was taken aback when she saw the horse Death arrived with. It was a magnificent white horse with silver on the saddle. The old lady was immediately suspicious and assumed that it was stolen. (Not that she minded; her father had been a smuggler, too.) In reality, the animal wasn't stolen. Death wouldn't leave his faithful Binky behind.

Answer: A wizard

Wizards were guaranteed a personal visit from Death at the moment of their passing. Unfortunately, Death had joined the land of the living and was no longer attending to souls in need of moving on. Those who had died continued to exist on the Discworld. In the case of Windle Poons, he awoke with more life in him than ever before!

Answer: He was a zombie.

Reg Shoe was a zombie. He had been a passionate revolutionary and the events leading up to his death can be found in 'Night Watch'. His enthusiasm led to his zombification, igniting a desire to give a voice to the undead of Ankh-Morpork. He set up the Fresh Start club and tried to convince Windle Poons to join the ranks.

Answer: The Death of Rats

Miss Flitworth had a rat problem that she had prepared a poison for. This left Death with a moral quandary. He had taken lives that had already been lived, but he had never actually killed anything before. The Death of Rats - which had once been a part of Death himself - appeared in the barn to collect the rodents' souls.

Answer: A fire in a tavern

A building in the town square was on fire, threatening the rest of the village and their thatch roofs. A young girl was still inside the burning inn. After being reprimanded for telling Miss Flitworth 'there is a time for everyone to die', Death headed in to rescue her. That meant giving the girl the time left in his own sand timer.

Answer: Yes

Bill Door was sharpening a scythe at one o'clock in the morning when Miss Flitworth appeared in the forge to see what he was doing. She touched his bony arm and it suddenly dawned on her who he was. She quickly came to terms with the situation, even making a joke about Death and his white horse, Binky: 'I spent most of my life waiting for a knight on a white charger...

The joke's on me, eh?'

Answer: When he first appeared, he posed against a stormy sky.

The new Death was a bit of a drama queen. He appeared on horseback on a hill against sheet lightening but waited 45 minutes until midnight for the showdown with the old Death. His replacement also wore a black robe with a crown. He had a skeletal steed, too, though Death wouldn't recommend them (he had one once but the head fell off).

Answer: The harvest dance

Death bought a large assortment of flowers and a box of chocolates called 'Dark Enchantments'. Then he stole the largest diamond in the world from the Lost Jewelled Temple of Doom of Offler the Crocodile God. He travelled back to the farm to take Miss Flitworth away, but wasn't sure exactly where he was going to take her.

She wanted to go to the harvest dance, so they danced the night away before Death gave her one final surprise.