Talk:Coalface

I have to suppose that by "the Patrician could care less", the author actually means he could not. Otherwise the rest of the sentence doesn't compute. However, I rather think he does have a consuming interest in finding and discouraging the guilty; it's a large part of his job. Sometimes he offers a carrot to the likes of Moist, but the stick (or scorpion pit) seems more common. H. Vetinari is hardly careless about anything. There's a bit between him and Margolotta in Unseen Academicals about crime and punishment. --Old Dickens 19:48, 15 November 2009 (UTC)

Well, the following is quoted directly from Men at Arms:

"'He's bound to have done something,' Nobby repeated.

In this he was echoing the Patrician's view of crime and punishment. If there was crime, there should be punishment. If the specific criminal should be involved in the punishment process then this was a happy accident, but if not then any criminal would do, and since everyone was undoubtedly guilty of something, the net result was that, in general terms, justice was done."

Perhaps Vetinari's opinions have changed as the Watch becomes more capable of fighting crime? Or maybe I just phrased that part of the article badly? TC01 20:24, 15 November 2009 (UTC)

The Patrician has certainly developed over the years. or gets quoted more accurately, or something. --Old Dickens 20:42, 15 November 2009 (UTC)