The Color of Magic The Color of Magic / Chapter 8 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • Rincewind races to the Broken Drum, getting there just in time to collide with a spear-skewered patron.
  • Keeping low, Rincewind sneaks through the tavern brawl and upstairs.
  • A big man is heading for Twoflower's door—he throws a knife at Rincewind, who ducks just in time for the knife to kill the bowman taking aim at Rincewind's back.
  • Rincewind uses some fake magic words, and by the time the man realizes the magic isn't inbound, he is kicked in the groin by a particularly cowardly wizard.
  • In the room, Rincewind briefly considers stealing Twoflower's money, but decides there's no point since he won't live long enough to enjoy it.
  • Twoflower wakes up and is upset to learn that a real life tavern brawl happened just then and he wasn't woken up to see it.
  • He explains to Rincewind that he wants to see the true Ankh-Morpork and all its heroes. This seems odd to Rincewind since its heroes are "suicidally gloomy when sober and homicidally insane when drunk" (1.8.32).
  • A sergeant of the city watch barges in to inform them that the brawl has ended.
  • Downstairs, Twoflower wonders who these dead fellows are, and Rincewind, deciding why not, starts naming them as heroes like Eric Stronginthearm and Hrun the Barbarian.
  • Twoflower pulls out a small box with a glass circle in its center. He asks Rincewind to ask the city watch to line up for a picture.
  • Rincewind tells them that if they don't line up a demon from inside the box will steal their souls.