His Grace, His Excellency, His Blackboard Monitor-ship, the Duke of Ankh, King of the River, God.
So we all know and love Sam Vimes. After all, as Thud! tells us:
“Sam Vimes once arrested [Lord Vetinari] for treason. Sam Vimes once arrested a dragon. Sam Vimes stopped a war between nations by arresting both high commands. He’s an arresting fellow, Sam Vimes. Sam Vimes killed a werewolf with his bare hands, and carries law with him like a lamp. Watchmen across half the continent will say that Sam Vimes is as straight as an arrow, can’t be corrupted, won’t be turned, never took a bribe.”
Now, here’s a thing. Who else – or rather what else – ‘carries law like a lamp’? The Guarding Dark, Vimes’ metaphorical inner watchman, who later uses a lantern to break the Summoning Dark’s control over his mind.
Bear in mind that the Summoning Dark has been corrupting minds since before written language, and that Thud! explicitly states Vimes is the first to resist its control. That’s a lot of power for the Guarding Dark to have. The fact that said power is demonstrated in a way that echoes the quote above links it as much to Vimes the legend as Vimes the man.
Now, take a look at this snippet of conversation between the Summoning Dark and Guarding Dark:
“…what kind of human creates his own policeman?”
“One who fears the dark.”
Obviously they’re talking about Vimes, but a generalised, public fear is also a running theme in the Watch books. The Fifth Elephant and Snuff both ridicule the phrase ‘the innocent have nothing to fear’, and the role of the Unmentionables in Night Watch is essentially an extended takedown of the idea.
So what if the innocent created and empowered their own policeman, who protects them in much the same way that the Guarding Dark protects Vimes?
As we know, belief is a powerful force on the Discworld, with a very real effect. I reckon it forms a feedback loop between the innocent and Vimes. His achievements fuel the public perception of him as the ideal policeman, an unstoppable, incorruptible force of law. Their belief fuels his willpower – arguably his greatest asset – allowing him to achieve more and add further to the legend. Vimes can successfully resist the Summoning Dark partly because people believe that it’s something he could do. As Vetinari and Drumknott put it in Thud!:
“Given a contest between an invisible and very powerful quasi-demonic thing of pure vengeance on the one hand, and the commander on the other, where would you wager, say… one dollar?”
“I wouldn’t, sir. That looks like one that would go to the judges.”
And that’s exactly what happens. Vimes resists the Summoning Dark long enough for Angua to bring him down, and it respectfully departs.
What do we call a Discworld being that draws power from belief? A god.
Monstrous Regiment confirms that mortals can become gods through the power of belief even against their will, so why not Vimes in the future? It would certainly fit the running joke of him being awarded honours against his wishes. And after His Grace, His Excellency, His Blackboard Monitor-ship, the Duke of Ankh, and King of the River, where else is there to go?
TL;DR – I think Sam Vimes is slowly and unknowingly turning into the god of coppers.
(Disclaimer – I don’t actually like this theory; I think Vimes works better as purely human. I just think it’s happening.)
From The Desk Of The Commander
“Bugger.”
- Commander Vimes
He will be so grumpy if that happens. (There would also be the issue of whether offerings/sacrifices count as bribes.)
vimes is going to arrest so many bastards when he ascends to the top of that mountain.
t00thpasteface
