When the Felmets commission a play to discredit the witches and the late King Verence, all does not go as planned.
Granny Weatherwax casts a spell that propels the Disc and its inhabitants 18 years into the future.
All seems lost when the witches are reminded that they cannot use magic to help the rightful heir onto the throne.
While the new king of Lancre is busy destroying the land and terrifying the people, the ghost of King Verence devises a clever plan to lure one of the witches into the castle.