William heads out on a spy mission in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 20
We head back to William’s part of the story in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 20. It’s time for him to go on a spy mission.
At first, we see William punished. There are certainly elements of Jamie’s character shining through in William’s personality throughout this chapter. Again, I question why people have such a problem with William when we see so much of Jamie in him at this point in the story.
He doesn’t even use his connections to get out of trouble. It’s only when he’s offered a chance to head out on a spy mission that he’s able to get out of his punishment. There’s something honorable about that.
This opens the door for more characters connected to those in the past. There’s a name that will stand out to everyone: Randall-Isaacs. Is it possible he’s related to Jack Randall? That’s what we’re about to find out.
There is certainly some foreshadowing in this chapter when it comes to Randall-Isaacs. I’ll get to that in the foreshadowing section.
I would love to see some of this storyline play out in the series. We may get some of it, but probably not all of it, and I’ll get to that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 20.
Just the Outlander chapter
The chapter starts with William in a bit of trouble. After he’s caught laughing at a cartoon, he’s punished for it. He won’t share who the artist was, which certainly stands out as a Jamie thing to do. Remember the bit with the tartan.
He refuses to use his connections to Lord John Grey and Hal Grey, though. Instead, he’s going to take his punishment, which I do think is honorable of him. Again, it’s something Jamie would do, and I get a sense that it’s something Lord John Grey would do.
Speaking of John, there are mentions of him. When Captain Richardson shows up with an offer of spy work, William thinks about his father. He knows that John would suggest against it. John doesn’t like spy work. Yet, William wants to do it. He certainly wants out of his punishment right now.
What’s the mission? He needs to be a French interpreter for Captain Randall-Isaacs. That name means nothing to William, but it means everything to us.
And so, we get to see a bit of William acting as a spy. There’s a moment where his height doesn’t help him. He’s hard to hide, and again, I’m reminded of Jamie. Jamie’s height and hair have often gotten him in trouble, and we see one of those problems for William.
However, William gets a taste of what could happen to him. He meets Rogers, who is looking for a spy named Hale. William knows about this spy, and so he ends up on the road with Rogers. Is this some sort of test for William, though? I think it’s more of a way to offer William some worldly advice. Rogers tells William not to trust Richardson. Why is that?
I guess this is where people don’t like William. He still has a lot to learn about people in the world. He’s stubborn—very much like Jamie—and sometimes thinks he knows best.
In the end, Hale is captured and he’s executed for being a spy. His hanging affects William, and I think that’s because there are so many similarities between the characters. Hale is young, stubborn, and eager, very much like William. Is William realizing that this is what could happen to him if he’s not careful?
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
There is a little bit of foreshadowing in this chapter. The first part is the name Captain Randall-Isaacs. It’s clear that Randall’s story isn’t quite over. Instead of seeing Black Jack Randall, we’ll get to meet his son. Well, who people think is his son.
I guess there was some foreshadowing in the previous chapter about the family histories still coming up. We should have known that Randall’s son would end up in the military too. It was only a matter of time before he’d be in the Colonies.
Another bit of foreshadowing is how William realizes that he and Jamie are related. It’s all about the height. William realizes that he can’t hide because of that height, and there are a few people around who have the same problem.
Of course, there is some plot development with Captain Richardson and what he’s up to. That’s not foreshadowing, though.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
I do hope to see some of this chapter used in Outlander Season 7. I want to see this young man who is eager to prove his worth. I want to see Captain Richardson and the way he encourages William to do his duty. This is an important chapter for William’s character development, and I’m sure there are ways to turn his inner monologues into conversations with others.
I just worry that there won’t be enough time. There’s already not enough time for all the storylines, but we know Adult William is coming into the story this season. We also know the Hunters are. They come in with William’s story at first, so we need some of this, right?
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 20? Let us know in the comments below.
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