I fell in love with only ONE cover and that was the one that had the Discworld Characters on the front and the Rembrant "Nightwatch" on the back.... but since I was desperate then to get my hands on anything TP it was a copy from the library. I thought about stealing.. I mean KEEPING it and saying I had lost it and paying for it but honesty prevailed and the fact that I knew the list of "waiting for this copy" was over 50 long and I just couldn't keep any copy of a TP novel out of the hands of other TP obsessed fans (hanging out ONE more day before you ring the library to ask... "Is it back yet?... Is it?" How many are in front of me now! HOW MANY!) ... or is that just me.... nm
I was on the net trolling for it off and on for years with no joy.
Then one day... I was offered a job at a Medical Research Center (I had worked for them before) as a temp and joy of joys THIS position gave me a whole hour for my lunch break instead of the previous half hour to throw back a quick coffee and home brought sandwich; get to the loo if I was really fast. There was this arty-farty book/coffee shop two doors away that sold horrendously expensive slavery-free coffee and arty-farty sandwiches (with only ONE slice of bread and hand reared Tasmanian salmon on a bed of mouldy cream cheese cured by a family of five Hungarian refugees in the Adelaide Hills) and old books the owner brought from Salvation Army stores for 20c and sold on for $45.99 but hey!... you got a piece of corrogated cardboard with a piece of string tied to it (sorry... a hand-crafted bookmark) when you purchased a book. Find me in a place like that? NEVER!
But it had books in it....... lots of books.... and it was only two doors down... and i had a whole hour for lunch... and I love salmon.... maybe just once.... So I ordered and asked the girl... "Don't suppose you have any Terry Pratchett books?" "No" she said, "We don't get many of those. I can look if you want me to?" (well excuse meeee... thank you) I admit my career is all about being nice to people and charming them and I am naturally a friendly type of person but I was NOT in the mood for her no-care attitude and I am sure it was showing.... she came back... "We have one if you want it." and held aloft.... the Holy Grail! (Wait! This deserves FIVE exclamation marks) ... the Holy Grail!!!!!
My eyes lit up and I leapt forward and HUGGED her. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" ONE day I intend to carefully have the dust cover removed (its under a plastic adhesive put on by the previous owner) and framed. I ate at the arty-farty book/coffee shop all that week in gratitude. Not only did I pay over $50 for the second hand book but I blew that weeks wages on coffee and salmon sandwiches. BUT I HAVE THE BOOK
That's a great story! 