Edward d'Eath, an Assassin and son of a down-and-out noble family, is determined to track down the lost heir to Ankh-Morpork's throne, and place him as leader, no matter how many people he has to kill. As the story progresses, it is made clear that d'Eath has stolen the 'gonne,' the disc's first firearm. He meant to use it to set the rightful king on the throne, but the device appears to have a strange mind of its own. After d'Eath takes it to Dr. Cruces along with his evidence of the king's identity, he is murdered by Dr. Cruces who then becomes a puppet of the gonne.