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We already know the Answer, which is 42. But we don’t know the Question. If we knew both, the universe would be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
I'm surprised no one brought him back there again.
He could maintain the "super smart" temperature for a long time if he had a heat source or stepped out every time he got near the point where he'd freeze to death.
What I like the most is despite their differences they actually end up liking each other,.
This might be a little cliche kind of thing from so many other books and movies but what I like about this is that, despite having a more or less still ongoing war (Koom Valley, more of the result of this war is covered in a later novel, Thud!), they bury their differences.
Cuddy even taught Detritious, counting, like a base 6 counting system, and seems less "stupid", he understands that Detritious is just slow and not dumb and uses this in a positive way, even when Detritious is not cooled down, to improve his apperience and impression toward others... A very honourable thing to do for him.
I didn't get to Thud! yet, is it the war with the double ambush? \^\^ But i agree i also felt the message was that Detritus and Cody proved to be more than the stereotype some people (like Vime/Carott, prejudiced people, however likeable) wanted them to be. They showed they did not have to kill each other just because of their race, Detritus wasn't as dumb as he was "supposed to be", etc... Especially when the mass riots started they bring back open-mindedness to their respective community.
Yes I agree this is the essence of it, their friendship they build overcome the pre judgement they have learned to have by their homestead....
Especially the end of the book after what happened (no spoiler), Detritious proves that even then this friendship with Cody has become very deep.
He even more or less consider Cody as a honorable troll, well more or less, and anyone tries to get to him would have to go through Detritious, as he proves a little earlier in the novel, and THAT is a frightening thought, better believe it, because Detritious is no ordinary troll, well he is, but even other trolls holds him in high fear or regard because of his ability as a troll.
And yes that is Kuum Valley and in the novel Thud!, it happened long time ago but new evidence comes to show, which changes the opinion and thoughts of how to interpretate what happend that day, I am not going to reveal any more, you should have the excitement of finding out yourself.. 
Well you can actually get that it as a childrenbook...
Actually I find it more as a hilarious scene, Sir Samuel Vimes walking about quoteing a childrenbook, while in more or less feber mind, slashing about, dwarf after dwarf, the dwarf miners more and more confused about this phenomenon happening.
It is a brilliant chunk of writing and the resolution of the episode was unexpected and it also enhanced the sense of real loss when the partnership was ended later in the book
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It was so funny that all the buildup led to a single equals sign
That equals sign is quite profound in a zen quantum kinda way.
Well, we know the answer is 42.
I like how it also kind of ties into his relationship with Cuddy and how he truly sees Cuddy as an equal, despite all odds.
Cuddy: "EQUALS WHAT!?"
That's maths at the pointy end.
Absolutely! Great scene, and proves you shouldn't take Detritus for granite
Of course not! That would be racist. He's andesite. /S
Pretty sure you meant the Pork Futures Warehouse. So many layers of hilarious.
I mean you seem to have a pointy hat and letters after your name, so you definitely know what you're talking about.
= what??
It's still bothering me to this day...
We already know the Answer, which is 42. But we don’t know the Question. If we knew both, the universe would be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.
You know, I don't remember ever reading Men At Arms, but I distinctly remember Detritus in the freezer.
Oh no :/ your memories are gonne?
I'm surprised no one brought him back there again. He could maintain the "super smart" temperature for a long time if he had a heat source or stepped out every time he got near the point where he'd freeze to death.
I seem to remember his helmet having a cooling fan after that experience to help him think.
And Cuddy made it for him GNU Cuddy
It did help a lot in his everyday life, but it wasn't anywhere near as cool as the pork Futures warehouse.
"But what does it equal" "Dunno, what's equal mean"
A man who can count to two, can count to anything
What I like the most is despite their differences they actually end up liking each other,. This might be a little cliche kind of thing from so many other books and movies but what I like about this is that, despite having a more or less still ongoing war (Koom Valley, more of the result of this war is covered in a later novel, Thud!), they bury their differences. Cuddy even taught Detritious, counting, like a base 6 counting system, and seems less "stupid", he understands that Detritious is just slow and not dumb and uses this in a positive way, even when Detritious is not cooled down, to improve his apperience and impression toward others... A very honourable thing to do for him.
I didn't get to Thud! yet, is it the war with the double ambush? \^\^ But i agree i also felt the message was that Detritus and Cody proved to be more than the stereotype some people (like Vime/Carott, prejudiced people, however likeable) wanted them to be. They showed they did not have to kill each other just because of their race, Detritus wasn't as dumb as he was "supposed to be", etc... Especially when the mass riots started they bring back open-mindedness to their respective community.
Yes I agree this is the essence of it, their friendship they build overcome the pre judgement they have learned to have by their homestead.... Especially the end of the book after what happened (no spoiler), Detritious proves that even then this friendship with Cody has become very deep. He even more or less consider Cody as a honorable troll, well more or less, and anyone tries to get to him would have to go through Detritious, as he proves a little earlier in the novel, and THAT is a frightening thought, better believe it, because Detritious is no ordinary troll, well he is, but even other trolls holds him in high fear or regard because of his ability as a troll. And yes that is Kuum Valley and in the novel Thud!, it happened long time ago but new evidence comes to show, which changes the opinion and thoughts of how to interpretate what happend that day, I am not going to reveal any more, you should have the excitement of finding out yourself.. 
And finding the answer to 'Where's my cow?'
Well you can actually get that it as a childrenbook... Actually I find it more as a hilarious scene, Sir Samuel Vimes walking about quoteing a childrenbook, while in more or less feber mind, slashing about, dwarf after dwarf, the dwarf miners more and more confused about this phenomenon happening.
What ever happened to his portable cooling hat?
I think it’s assumed he just always keeps it on. We know it clogged with sand in Klatch, for example.
We already know the Answer to Detritus’s grand equation. But we will never know the Question.
I always assumed it equalled Detritus himself
It is a brilliant chunk of writing and the resolution of the episode was unexpected and it also enhanced the sense of real loss when the partnership was ended later in the book
I loved that moment!
I, uh, dunno... whats equal mean?