Jamie has a request for Roger in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 12
As Brianna and Roger discuss a bottle of white phosphorus, Jamie has a request for Roger in Outlander Book 6, Chapter 12. This is certainly a chapter packed with plot development and foreshadowing.
The chapter is initially about the white phosphorus that Lord John Grey has sent to Brianna. It’s clear that she intends to use it for something. Her engineering mind is working overtime. Now she just needs to figure out what to do.
Could she make matches? That’s a strong possibility. What I love is how we see Brianna finding a role to place in the past while using her 20th-century skills.
The topic does move on temporarily when Jamie comes with a request. He needs Roger to go meet some people for him.
The chapter really is packed with foreshadowing when it comes to this storyline. The topic of matches is important for a few things to come in later chapters of the book, and even in later books in the story. I’ll break this down in the foreshadowing section.
It hasn’t been used for the series just yet, but I do think it will be. I’ll get to my thoughts on this when it comes to the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 12.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with the topic of the phosphorus. Roger is concerned about it. All he knows is that it can burst into flames and blow up. He doesn’t want to see the roof of the cabin blown off! However, Brianna isn’t as worried about it being in the cabin. She just wants to figure out what to do with it.
She knows the theory behind making matches. Can she make them for their home? It would be much easier and quicker to make fires than everything they currently need to do.
Jamie interrupts the conversation. He needs Roger to go to Cross Creek with Arch Bug and Thomas Christie. There are new potential tenants, but they’re Presbyterian. Jamie can’t go meet them since he’s Catholic. There’s no way they would feel settled if they met their Catholic landowner first. Jamie wants to build up a better feeling by meeting a couple of the Presbyterians on the Ridge.
Roger is a little disappointed that Jamie is only asking due to religious reasons. He thought it was because Roger is his son-in-law. However, I’m sure that does have a role to play, too.
Isn’t Arch Bug Catholic, though? And he doesn’t speak much. Arch will be the ones helping the newcomers settle on the land, so it makes sense for them to meet him. Arch will know to keep his Catholicism out of the conversation.
Jemmy wants to go with Roger. At first, Roger is about to say no but he sees the look on Brianna’s face. He decides to take Jem with him. At least he’ll have someone to talk to!
I do love that we continue to see the way Jamie’s mind thinks. He will do what’s best for the land and other tenants living there. After all, he and Young Ian are needed elsewhere to talk to some of the local Native Americans. Jamie knows how to delegate well when he needs to.
We also see Roger care about Brianna’s mental state. With just one look, Roger knew it would be best to take Jem with him to give Brianna some sort of a break. After all, Bree is going to have a lot to do for the harvest now with everyone else away.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
The foreshadowing in this chapter is all about the matches. The rest of it is mostly plot development.
We know that Brianna will make the matches. Roger’s concerns about things exploding are understandable, but it’s not really the matches that cause the problem. It’s the time the matches are used. Because of them, the Big House does eventually go up in flames, but it’s not the actual matches’ fault.
There is so much to come from Brianna deciding to make matches. And we get comments about them in later books, too. Bree hasn’t stopped trying to bring the 20th century to the 18th century Ridge.
Adapting A Breath of Snow and Ashes chapter
The chapter hasn’t been used in the series, but I expect some of it will be at the very least. I think we’ll actually see a fair bit of this chapter used.
We need to see the Ridge growing. The best way to do that would be to keep the Roger/Thomas Christie storyline. Send them to Cross Creek to meet the new tenants. We know that Jocasta is going to be part of this upcoming season anyway, even if in just a small role.
The most important part that is likely to be used is creating the matches. There’s a moment in the Outlander Season 6 opening credits that shows Brianna lighting a match, so she makes them. Will the matches lead to the fire at the Big House? I hope so! It’s such a big part of the storyline.
What did you spot while reading A Breath of Snow and Ashes Chapter 12? Let us know in the comments below.
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