Where's My Cow? Acting, Rather than Being Acted Upon.

A shape appeared in the mist.

It drew nearer.

Water cascaded off a metal helmet and an oiled leather cloak as the figure stopped and, entirely unconcerned, cupped its hand in front of its face and lit a cigar.

Then the match was dropped on the cobbles, where it hissed out, and the figure said: "What are you?"

The entity stirred, like an old fish in a deep pool. It was too tired to flee.

"I am the Summoning Dark." It was not, in fact, a sound, but had it been, it would have been a hiss. "Who are you?"

"I am the Watchman."

"They would have killed his family!" The darkness lunged, and met resistance. "Think of the deaths they have caused! Who are you to stop me?"

"He created me. Quis custodiet ipsos custodes? Who watches the Watchman? Me. I watch him. Always. You will not force him to murder for you."

"What kind of human creates his own policeman?"

"One who fears the dark."

"And so he should," said the entity, with satisfaction.

"Indeed. But I think you misunderstand. I am not here to keep darkness out. I'm here to keep it in." There was a clink of metal as the shadowy watchman lifted a dark lantern and opened its little door. Orange light cut through the blackness. "Call me . . . the Guarding Dark. Imagine how strong I must be."

The Summoning Dark backed desperately into the alley, but the light followed it, burning it.

"And now," said the Watchman, "get out of town."

~Terry Pratchett, "Thud"

Yet again, Pratchett the Humanist lands squarely in the camp of those who believe in a supreme being.

Sam Vimes' internal Watchman is trained and set to act, not to be acted upon. And whether this Watchman is trained by Vimes alone or trained by Vimes with the assistance of, say, the Holy Ghost, there's no difference, unless you wish to split hairs about belief in a Christian god. He probably would do so.

But there is no difference.

The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi delivers a powerful sermon to his son Jacob about agency -- something Pratchett touches on as a major theme in Thud! The agency given to us by God is for us to use, whether to good or evil ends. It is part of the test. If we train ourselves to act with our agency in ways that keep the natural man in check, we defeat the Summoning Dark and with the help of the Holy Ghost, who will influence us for good but not remove our agency, we can become the Guarding Dark.

Yes, many will fail, whether they approach this from a humanist or Christian point of view. The common denominator is the frailty and weakness of man. If we will God to cause us to do nothing but good, we surrender our agency and become things that are acted upon, not things that act. Being a thing that acts is what makes us human, and certainly what makes Vimes Vimes. That he, and we, choose to act in ways that keep the darkness in is indeed a credit to our own inner training. I am glad to have the assistance of God in my Guarding Dark endeavors.

Vimes also strains to come up with no bad excuses to miss reading "Where's My Cow?" to Young Sam, for a person who would miss a reading with a bad excuse will certainly come up with more and better excuses to miss. Not even being trapped in the bowels of Koom Valley's plumbing could keep Sam from his appointment -- Sam acted. As must we all.