Raising Steam

Pratchett, Terry

It is said that a soft answer turneth away wrath, but this assertion has a lot to do with


It is said that a soft answer turneth away wrath, but this assertion has a lot to do with hope and was now turning out to be patently inaccurate,


lagniappe. However, his lordship has terrific powers of recovery, and


The coach passed by many buildings of this sort, which would no doubt be little palaces to the occupants, who had escaped from Cockbill Street and Pigsty Hill and all the other neighborhoods where people still dreamed that they could “better themselves,” an achievement that might be attained, oh happy day, when they had “a little place of their own.” It was an inspiring dream, if you didn’t look too deeply into words like mortgage and repayments and repossession and bankruptcy, and the lower middle classes of Ankh-Morpork, who saw themselves as being trodden on by the class above and illegally robbed by the one below, lined up with borrowed money to purchase, by instalments, their own little Oi Dong.


Then, as Iron Girder plunged on, it broke through into Moist’s consciousness that this wasn’t magic, neither was it brute strength, it was, in fact, ingenuity.


It wasn’t about the money. It had never been about the money. Even when it was about the money, it wasn’t entirely about the money. Well, it was slightly about the money, but most of all it was about what the dwarfs called the craic.


being aware that many people weren’t as straight as a theodolite.


Bedwyr very much enjoyed the rat, which had been nicely seasoned, and, as a wise husband does, he thought about things.


How many times must I tell you?” “Every time, sir, I’m sorry to say, because you see, sir,” said Moist, “if I’m to be of any use to you I have to be Moist von Lipwig, sir, and that means, I’m afraid, sir, that I have to find the edge of the envelope and put my stamp on it, sir, otherwise life wouldn’t be worth dying for.”


He is known as Lu-Tze, a name that strikes fear in those who don’t know how to pronounce it, let alone spell it.


Uncertainty is always uncertain, but the difficulty with people who rely on systems is that they begin to believe that nearly everything is in some way a system and therefore, sooner or later, they become bureaucrats.


Albert Spangler watched his back and, above all, do not go into dark places.”


Albert Spangler watched his back and, above all, do not go into dark places.”


“But you know I’m no fighter!” “Really, Mister Lipwig? But I already have reports that say otherwise: thrilling tales of derring-do and, believe me, nothing was said about derring-don’t.”


status but, in truth, they were just plucky miners … expert at mining,


Mr. Forefather was making hay by making bacon butties


Simnel knew it too and had spotted the signal. He said, “Oh, yes, sir, we will do. At least the basics, safety and so forth. But it’ll cost. Research and development has to cost. But I’ll tek apprentices, show them t’ropes, and generally make them safer workers. In fact we’re planning regular classes, a Railway Academy, you might call it.” His smile dropped as he continued, “O’course I’m reet sorry about those lads, sir, but learning is hard and failure is sharp. I’d hate that kind of thing to happen again, but it’s got to be done proper like. No scrimping. No cutting corners.” Mr. Simnel had won again. The press couldn’t deal with a straightforward man. The certainty in his face simply disarmed them and possibly, thought Moist, made them wish they were better people. There wasn’t an inch of politics in Dick and that stunned them.


Punch-and-Judy


For a moment Moist saw the psyche of Harry King putting together a retort that social acceptability could go and get its hands dirty by doing a proper day’s work rather than interfering with honest entrepreneurs who were working their guts out day and night.


And all was fueled by money, money, money, eager investors turning gold into steel and coal in the hope that it would turn back into even more gold.


Everybody present laughed nervously, except Lord Vetinari, who just laughed.