Having thoughts about Drumknott and Vetinari again, and specifically about how much The Truth seems to be a turning point in their relationship. Drumknott is around, before that book, he's already Vetinari’s personal secretary, he's clearly a trusted and respected figure in the Palace, and yet his appearances are always brief, there-and-gone, just dropping off a file before disappearing again.
But in the books after that (and particularly by the time you get to Going Postal)? There’s barely a Vetinari scene without him, and there's a major increase in the number of scenes with just the two of them. Suddenly Drumknott is whispering information - and even corrections - in Vetinari’s ear, Vetinari is monologuing to him about philosophy and asking for his opinion, they're doing a double-act to keep visitors on their toes during meetings. They're a team, not just a politician and his secretary.
And I'm thinking about how, after the events of The Truth, Vetinari must have dug for the details on everything that happened. And he must have learned, either from the Watch or Drumknott himself, that Drumknott saw a man who looked like Vetinari attack him, and still argued for Vetinari’s innocence in the incident. That Drumknott chose to distrust the evidence of his own eyes before he would even consider distrusting Vetinari.
How rare must that be, for one of the most powerful political figures on the continent? To have earned that sort of loyalty and trust from someone, that the thought of betrayal never even crossed his mind?
Vetinari doesn't trust easily - he can't, too many people want to see him thrown from power, too many people could be plotting against him. But seeing someone else give him so much trust... well, that does seem to earn an equal amount in return, doesn't it?
