Ian comes face-to-face with Arch Bug in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 100
Ian has to make a choice in Outlander Book 7, Chapter 100. Will he kill to protect the woman he loves, or will he listen to her pleas for no violence?
This is a big chapter. Arch Bug is back, and Rachel knows that he means to kill her. She doesn’t understand the reasons behind it, but she knows that Arch is a dangerous man. Fortunately, Ian gets to the print shop where Rachel has been staying, and he makes it just in time.
Will Ian go through with killing Arch? That’s something we’ll look at in the chapter. I do think this chapter makes it clear why Rachel chooses Ian, though. I’ll get to that in the foreshadowing section.
Another part of the chapter focuses on Claire, who is struggling to come to terms with Jamie’s death. We know why that is, but Claire and John are sure Jamie died at sea. We see how they continue to lean on each other in their grief.
I expect this chapter to be used in the TV series. I’ll get to that in the adaptation section.
Let’s dive into An Echo in the Bone Chapter 100.
Just the Outlander chapter
We start with Claire, who is in the denial stage of grief. She can’t believe that Jamie is dead, and when she does think of how Jamie died, she feels awful. Drowning must have been scary, and it’s such a waste of a man who is so good for so many people.
John comes in seeking comfort. While Claire is clearly not in the state to comfort him, she does so anyway. Maybe she does find some solace in his embrace too. They both loved Jamie in their own way, and they’re clinging onto that love through each other.
When we move onto William, we find out that he’s looking for Arch—the man with the ax, as William knows him. He’s searching with Colenso, who turned up a few chapters ago. It’s easy to forget some of these side characters and I always forget about him going into An Echo in the Bone.
At the print shop, Rachel is nursing her head, which is sore due to the impending storm. Arch turns up, and Rachel tells him to leave. Arch makes it clear that he won’t harm Rachel until Ian is there to see it, and that’s when Ian turns up. Rachel is able to get free, but Arch puts up a fight.
Rachel asks Ian not to kill Arch, and Ian follows that request. He offers up his own life to Arch, but Arch doesn’t want that. He wants Ian to feel the way he did. Rachel wants Arch to choose a path of peace, but that’s not what the man wants.
There is a fight in the end as Rollo pounds through the door. However, William comes in and fires his pistol. It’s William who kills Arch.
Foreshadowing in the Outlander chapter
This chapter is about wrapping up a lot of stories. I do think there’s some foreshadowing, though, especially in Claire’s section. She is in the denial stage of grief, but we also know that Jamie isn’t dead. Claire is imagining all this, and all we’re waiting for is Jamie to get back to Claire after traveling from Charleston.
Another bit of foreshadowing is Rachel choosing Ian. It’s clear from William’s comment about her and men with axes that he realizes Rachel likes Ian. I think Ian not being the one to kill Arch also helps. He makes it clear that he is willing to compromise who he is for her, and that’s going to mean a great deal.
Adapting An Echo in the Bone chapter
With the mention of the gold in Outlander Season 6, I do expect the Arch Bug storyline to play out in Season 7. That will mean this chapter needs to play out. We need to see Ian offer himself to Arch instead of killing the man. We also need to see William be the one to kill Arch. This all plays a part in Rachel choosing to be with Ian. She sees that he can change after he did as she asked.
Then there’s the part of John and Claire finding comfort in each other. I’m not sure if we’ll see a second instance of it. One makes it clear that the two are grieving and need the support of each other.
What did you spot while reading An Echo in the Bone Chapter 100? Let us know in the comments below.
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