How do they rise up

The Duchess of Ankh-Morpork, Lady Sybil Vimes nee Ramkin is in labour, and Sam is under instructions to keep out of the way. Already a trainee assassin, sent by her tutor at the Assassins school Alice Band, has discovered the Ramkin residence booby-trapped and ended up in the cess-pit! It is May 25th and certain people, including Sam are wearing sprigs of lilac. Nobby Nobbs and Fred Colon are amongst them. Only those that were there are entitled to wear the lilac. At the Cemetery of Small Gods they meet Dibbler and Reg Shoe at the 7 graves which includes that of John Keel. Mrs Palm has already been there and Madam has left a hard-boiled egg.

The Glorious 25th was marked in the Year of the Happy Goose with a Lilac Patrician stamp and a cover showing the graves in the Small Gods cemetery.
The stamps came in sheets of 12. A full pack of sheet and cover was a strictly limited edition

Alice Band appears on one of the Year of the Sneezing Panda Hogswatch 50p stamps.

Sam arrives at the Psuedopolis Yard Watch House to hear the news that Watchman Stronginthearm was killed the previous evening by Carcer, a psychopathic criminal with little regard for the law. And Carcer has been spotted on top of the University buildings. Vimes and Carrot head there and Vimes confronts him on the dome of the Library, with Carrot over on the High Energy Magic building. There is a sudden and violent magical electric storm causing Carcer and Vimes to fall through the dome, but both go missing. Any conversation is made difficult by the silent tolling of Old Tom drowning out every other word

These three stamps are all from different sets of stamps issued for Unseen University use, They show the Library,
High Energy Magic building and Old Tom

Vimes wakes up injured and minus armour, boots, uniform and cigar case. A young lady, somehow familiar, takes him to Dr Lawn who is a younger version of the familiar person, who patches up his injuries. He gives the name John Keel, as something is definitely odd. Two other ladies keep track on him, and they look familiar to; the Agony Aunts, Sadie and Dotsie. There is talk about curfews, and when Vimes goes home a 16 year old Sybil is spotted. Vimes is arrested for curfew breaking and spends the night in Treacle Mine Road cells. He wakes up to find a gloating Carcer in the next cell, who bribes his way out. Vimes manages to convince the elderly Capt Tilden that he is the John Keel who is joining the squad from Pseudopolis. Events are frozen as Lu-Tze, the monk of history, explains that he has gone back .
Sgt John Keel was marked by a 25p stamp during
the Year of the Spinning Mouse.

An item in the Tiny Post series addressed to
Dotsie of the Agony Aunts

30 years in time. The real John Keel has been killed on the way to the city. To return to his present Vimes will need to ensure that history is repaired - events have to be drawn together to re-create what happened in his reality. Vimes was there as a new recruit (who really needs to be taught proper coppering), as was Fred Colon. Vimes remembers his admiration for John Keel when he joined. He recalls the events of the Glorious Revolution of 25th May.
Vimes hears tales of the Cable Street Particulars, an exclusive police force operated directly by the patrician, Lord Winder. It is led by Cpt Swing. The first night on duty involves a curfew sweep, and this includes Miss Palm. He cannot be bought by a two-penny upright. The arrestees are taken to Cable St, but those there will not play by the book, by signing a prisoner transfer, so the prisoners are taken back to Treacle Mine Road. Carcer has joined the Particulars. Vimes also employs Nobby Nobbs, a street urchin at the time, to gather the word on the street. The Watch also interrupt the Particulars staking out of the Morphic St Conspiracy. Three of them are arrested and another killed by a mystery bowman as he attempts to shoot Vimes.

Cable Street was one of those chosen as having potential for a street name in Wincnton

The Tuppeny Upright plum

At the Assassins Guild, Dr Follett is in charge; Downey bullies another trainee who he calls Dogbotherer. It is a young Havelock Vetinari, whose aunt Lady Roberts Meserole from Genua is in the city. She is taking an interest in John Keel, while  Vetinari is specialising in concealment.

There are reports of riots in Dolly Sisters and the cavalry are sent in. This makes the situation worse and there are attacks on watch houses across the city - except Treacle Mine Road where Vimes/Keel has ordered the watch to present an unthreatening impression with no weapons or armour on view. The next day the Watch go to Cable St, overpower the guards and set the living prisoners free, The building is then burned and Swing is killed.

The original Assassins Guild stamp was
known as the Zombie as the gum was
believed to be toxic.

This early proposed design showa somewhat younger
Havelock Vetinari; at least there are no grey hairs showing.

Vimes returns to find would-be revolutionary Reg Shoe organising a People’s Republic with Rosie Palm - Truth, Justice, Freedom and reasonably priced love. The local people are putting up barricades to prevent what is happening elsewhere in the city. Vimes finds himself in control of a quarter of the city. It is not long before the military are ordered to do what is necessary and Big Mary, a siege engine, is deployed. Vimes shows how easy it is to disable it.
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A party at the Palace, and Lady Meserole is using her charm to steer the guests to neutralise Lord Winder`s supporters. An assassin, Vetinari, enters and the threat of the knife is enough for Winder to collapse dead. With minutes Lord Snapcase is installed as the new Patrician. He suggests a general amnesty, for all except John Keel, because he has shown himself capable of being a real and popular threat. He sends Carcer, now head of the guards, to deal with Keel. Lady Meserole sends Vetinari to prevent this. The barricades are being taken down, but the Treacle Mine Road Watch are still fighting remnants of the Particulars.

Wincanton has also been declared
a People`s Republic according to this postal label,

They identify themselves with sprigs of lilac. Lu-tze reappears and freezes time again. Everything is set up for Vimes to return to the future. He must grab Carcer, and the monks will put the body of the real John Keel in his place. History is mended when all seven who are buried in Small Gods in the future are killed in this reality - John Keel, Billy Wiglet, Horace Nancyball, Snouty Clapman, Ned Coates, Dai Dickens and Reg Shoe (sort of).

The Glorious 25th May sport stamp from the Year of the Backward-facing
Artichoke possible shows the (sort of) killing of Reg Shoe

Sam wakes up near where he left the present. There is no sign of Carcer. Hurrying back home to Scoone Ave he finds he needs to have Dr Lawn at the birth and Young Sam is delivered. He rewards Lawn with the money and land to build the Lady Sybil Free Hospital. That evening he visits the Small Gods cemetery, where Reg Shoe emerges from his coffin having spent the day there. He will soon need a new coffin. Carcer appears. But Sam manages to capture him. Vetinari has been watching. He finally knows the truth about John Keel now, and it was Vetinari who saved Vimes` life 30 years ago. Vetinari will restore the Treacle Mine Road Watchhouse.

John Keel`s Grave in the Small Gods cemetery,
under the lilac trees.

Issued during the Year of the Frog Ascendant, this           Reg Shoe could do worse than visit      The Treacle Mine Road Watch hose was the first
Penny Lilac was paired with a Glorious 25th label in         Dratley and Beedles for a new coffin    stamp issued in the Historic Ankh-Morpork series.
tete-beche arrangements.                                                                                                       This is the lilac version issued 25th May

This page is dedicated to Reg Shoe