The commander of the Watch in Ankh-Morpork is in big trouble. He is sent… on vacation in the countryside. For Samuel Vimes, it will mean spending unforgettable two weeks away from the hustle and bustle of the city and the big problems in society of the loving wife, the inquisitive little boy, and the loyal servant Villykins. The dream of any hard worker, you might say? Not in the case of a man who hasn’t taken a single day off in years of service, and even spends weekends in constant anticipation of urgent messages from work every minute. Vimes has absolutely no idea what to do with himself in his free time, so he obediently goes with his wife to visits, holds receptions, walks around the area, and grabs at any chance to have some fun. The commander hopes that day by day something extraordinary will happen in Ankh-Morpork and the patrician will demand Vimes return to the city—but the Watch left in the reliable hands of Captain Morcow runs like clockwork.
Vimes doesn’t have to suffer through idleness for long—he finds out that the local inhabitants are far from as innocent as they seem at first glance. Under cover of night, dark affairs are carried out, and in the past there is a terrible secret that demands to be uncovered… The commander gladly throws himself into an improvised investigation, not even suspecting that first of all, to rest with her husband in the countryside, Lady Sybil recommended Vimes herself—the patrician Vitinari.