As we get closer to the end of the book, a lot of plot points need to be wrapped up quickly. One of them is dealing with Percy in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 33.
The chapter involves a few threads from earlier in the book. We have the reminder of the fortune teller automation, and we get the O’Higgins brothers back. We also see how many would be willing to turn a blind eye to things if it helps to avoid a scandal.
This chapter helps to solve one of John’s problems. There are still plenty of questions about who killed Gerald.
Breaking down Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade Chapter 33
I do feel like there is just a little too much going on in Lord John and the Brotherhood of the Blade that needs to be wrapped up at the end. I appreciate the use of some story threads from earlier in the book, though.
Lord John has figured out a way to get Percy free. It means taking the fortune teller automation to the O’Higgins brothers. They had the automation in the first place, and John has now learned that they were supposed to deliver a part of Gerald’s journal.
They find the O’Higgins brothers at a wake that lasted two weeks. The Irish were so busy having fun in saying goodbye to Kitty O’Donnell that they forget to put money aside for the burial. The smell is bad, and the brothers are there to get everyone out. They don’t know why John has turned up.
He would like the brothers to put a corpse in the automation. A famous highway man is due to be hanged, and there is going to be a huge party to say goodbye to him. John knows that the brothers would be allowed in with the automation. They can switch the corpse for Percy, putting a very much alive Percy in the automation to carry out.
Percy can be considered a victim of jail fever. There is no way anyone will want to raise the alarm that he got out, as that would lead to a scandal. However, if Percy is caught, John and the brothers will be hanged as well. They all accept that risk, and the brothers agree to do it since they can take their device back with them after this.
The brothers want to know if John will come with them. While John would like to touch Percy one more time, he knows he shouldn’t and declines the offer.
Could this chapter be adapted into a TV series?
We would need to see this chapter used if there was a Lord John Grey series. For one, it shows that John is willing to do things against the law for the people he loves. We’ve seen this since with Jamie, but this is a sign in his earlier days. He will protect people he cares about.
It’s also important to see how Percy gets away with his “crime.” We need to see how he gets out of jail. I would love to see a scene play out with the brothers getting to Percy and encouraging him to get into the automation. It does remind me a little of The Man in the Iron Mask, although there was no automation in that one!
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