The Fifth Elephant
Chapters - Terry Pratchett
Section: Ambassador to Uberwald
Sergeant Colon is running the Watch's new traffic enforcement programme on the Brass Bridge, using an iconograph-wielding imp to catch speeding carts. He receives intelligence from All Jolson in exchange for unclamping his carter's wheel. Meanwhile, somewhere in Uberwald, a man is being hunted through the snow.
The Fools' Guild catches fire, and Commander Vimes and Captain Carrot organise a bucket chain after the Guild's own clown fire brigade proves useless. Lord Vetinari summons Vimes and explains that the Scone of Stone - the dwarfs' most sacred artefact, used to crown the Low King - has been stolen in Uberwald. He appoints Vimes as Ankh-Morpork's ambassador to attend the coronation, much to Vimes's dismay.
Lady Margolotta learns of Vetinari's choice of ambassador from her castle and is intrigued. The Baroness and Wolfgang von Uberwald discuss the implications with alarm. Inigo Skimmer arrives at the Vimes household, assigned as the diplomatic clerk. Colon is left in charge of the Watch and immediately begins a disastrous power trip, alienating Nobby and the other officers. The diplomatic party - Vimes, Lady Sybil, Cheery, Detritus, and Skimmer - departs for Uberwald by coach. Angua abruptly leaves the city, heading for Uberwald on her own, and Carrot sets off after her with Gaspode. Vetinari consults Leonard of Quirm in his attic workshop.
On page: Fred Colon, Samuel 'Sam' Vimes, Carrot Ironfoundersson, Havelock Vetinari, Lady Margolotta, Baroness Serafine von Uberwald, Wolfgang von Uberwald, Inigo Skimmer, Nobby Nobbs, Lady Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, Cheery Littlebottom, Detritus, Angua von Uberwald, Gaspode, Leonard of Quirm, Baron Guye von Uberwald, Reg Shoe
Section: Tracking Angua
Carrot and Gaspode travel across the plains tracking Angua, rescuing a wolf from a village wolf-baiting along the way. Carrot's natural authority and gentle smile convince the villagers to cooperate.
Meanwhile, Vimes and his party arrive in Uberwald and begin navigating the complex political landscape. He meets Lady Margolotta, who proves to be a sharp and formidable player in the game of Uberwaldean politics. Vimes also encounters Igor, who serves as Margolotta's servant and source of local intelligence.
Skimmer reveals hidden depths as the journey progresses, and Vimes grows suspicious of his true role. Cheery and Detritus provide support as the party ventures deeper into the mountains. Lady Sybil proves invaluable with her knowledge of high society and Uberwaldean customs. Back in Ankh-Morpork, Colon's power trip reaches new heights as he alienates the entire Watch with petty regulations about cups and saucers.
On page: Carrot Ironfoundersson, Gaspode, Angua von Uberwald, Samuel 'Sam' Vimes, Lady Margolotta, Igor, Inigo Skimmer, Cheery Littlebottom, Detritus, Lady Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, Fred Colon, Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory-Pamphlets, Gavin
Section: The Scone Replaced
Vimes attends diplomatic functions at the dwarf mines and confronts the political tensions surrounding the coronation of the Low King. The Scone of Stone has been stolen and replaced with a replica, and Vimes must navigate dwarf factional politics to uncover the truth.
Skimmer continues to shadow Vimes, and their relationship becomes increasingly tense as Vimes recognises the man's Assassin training. Cheery is invaluable as a translator of dwarf customs and politics, explaining the deep significance of the Scone and the factional divide between traditionalist and progressive dwarfs.
Lady Sybil demonstrates her diplomatic skills at formal dinners, winning over Uberwaldean nobility with her breeding and genuine warmth. Detritus provides muscle and accidentally diplomacy, his presence as a troll at a dwarf coronation being itself a political statement. Nobby and Colon continue to hold the fort badly in Ankh-Morpork, with Colon's paranoid command style pushing the Watch towards mutiny.
On page: Samuel 'Sam' Vimes, Inigo Skimmer, Cheery Littlebottom, Lady Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, Detritus, Nobby Nobbs, Fred Colon, Reg Shoe, Visit-The-Infidel-With-Explanatory-Pamphlets, Rhys Rhysson, Albrecht Albrechtson, Dee, Captain Tantony
Section: Wolfgang's Hunt
The crisis comes to a head as Vimes uncovers the conspiracy behind the theft of the Scone. Wolfgang reveals himself as the driving force, planning to use the coronation crisis to reshape Uberwald's political order in favour of werewolf supremacy. He captures Sybil and forces Vimes to participate in 'the Game' - a hunt through the Uberwaldean forests.
Vimes survives the hunt through sheer bloody-mindedness, turning the tables on his pursuers. Carrot and Angua arrive in Uberwald, where Angua must confront her family and her brother Wolfgang's extremism. The von Uberwald family dynamics are laid bare: the Baroness trying to hold things together, the Baron increasingly lost in his wolf nature, and Wolfgang driving towards violent confrontation.
Cheery, Detritus, and Gaspode all play crucial roles in the resolution. Lady Margolotta manoeuvres behind the scenes. Igor provides vital assistance at key moments. The Scone of Stone is found - or rather, the truth about all Scones is revealed - and the Low King is crowned. Wolfgang is defeated, and a new political settlement emerges in Uberwald, with Lady Margolotta, the dwarfs, and the vampires reaching an accommodation. The wolf Gavin throws himself against Wolfgang at the falls to buy Angua and Carrot their lives and is killed - a noble creature, Carrot mourns, deserving more than he was given.
On page: Samuel 'Sam' Vimes, Wolfgang von Uberwald, Lady Sybil Ramkin-Vimes, Carrot Ironfoundersson, Angua von Uberwald, Baroness Serafine von Uberwald, Baron Guye von Uberwald, Cheery Littlebottom, Detritus, Gaspode, Lady Margolotta, Igor, Rhys Rhysson, Albrecht Albrechtson, Dee, Captain Tantony, Gavin
Section: The Journey Home
The aftermath of the Uberwald crisis. Vimes and the diplomatic party prepare to return to Ankh-Morpork, having achieved far more than anyone expected from an ambassador who kept arresting people. The political landscape of Uberwald has shifted permanently, with new alliances formed between the species. Vimes reflects on the nature of diplomacy and policing, concluding they are not so different after all. On the journey home, Lady Sybil tells Vimes that she is going to have a baby - the headline emotional beat of the book's coda.
On page: Samuel 'Sam' Vimes