City of the Plague God: 15 Essential Questions and Answers

This companion page answers 15 evidence-grounded questions about Sarwat Chadda’s City of the Plague God. Each answer draws directly from the novel’s chapters and themes, helping readers explore character motivations, plot twists, and mythological layers. Use the internal links to dive deeper into specific characters and themes.

1. Why does Sikander refuse Ishtar’s offer of two million dollars in Chapter Eight?

Sikander refuses because accepting the money would mean abandoning his comatose parents and endorsing Belet’s accusation that his brother Mo smuggled artifacts. His loyalty to family outweighs any temptation. The offer feels like a bribe to forget Mo’s legacy, and Sik insists on fighting Nergal on his own terms, not as a paid mercenary.

Evidence context: In Chapter Eight, Ishtar offers Sikander two million dollars to help defeat Nergal. Sikander angrily declines after Belet suggests Mo stole artifacts, leading him to defend his brother’s honor. This moment crystallizes his refusal to be bought and his determination to protect his family’s name.

2. What does the repeated cuneiform phrase “Gilgamesh lied” reveal about Nergal’s motivation?

The graffiti obsessively scratched into the shipping container in Chapter Twelve shows that Nergal believes Gilgamesh deceived humanity—likely about the flower of immortality or the nature of heroism. This belief fuels Nergal’s rage and his quest to destroy Gilgamesh’s legacy, making the plague god’s grudge personal and ancient.

Evidence context: In Chapter Twelve, Sik and Belet find the container’s walls covered in “Gilgamesh lied” in multiple cuneiform languages. Belet notes it is the only phrase, repeated thousands of times. This reveals Nergal’s obsessive fixation and explains why he targets Gilgamesh’s modern-day descendants.

3. How does the Author’s Note contextualize Sikander’s use of the word “jihad”?

Chadda explains that Sikander’s jihad is a personal, noble struggle to improve himself and protect his family, not a violent war. This reframes the word from its misunderstood modern connotations to its original Islamic meaning of striving for good. The note directly links Sik’s choices to his faith as a source of strength.

Evidence context: Chapter 43 (Author’s Note) states: “That is his jihad, his noble struggle.” Chadda also describes his hesitation to write a Muslim hero because of stigma around jihad and Allahu Akbar, and credits Rick Riordan’s inclusive work for inspiring him.

4. In Chapter Seven, what does Ishtar’s WWII confrontation with Nergal reveal about her character and the nature of heroism?

Ishtar’s decision to destroy German bombers rather than abandon the town shows she believes heroism still exists even in an era of industrial warfare. She rejects Nergal’s cynicism that only monsters and meaningless death remain. Her actions prove that courage and honor can defy massive forces, preserving hope.

Evidence context: In the flashback of Chapter Seven, Ishtar faces Nergal amid a bombing raid. She tells him “There are heroes still” and proceeds to tear apart planes with her bare hands. The scene contrasts her faith in mortal valor with Nergal’s embrace of pestilence and despair.

5. Why does Belet tear up the photo of her biological parents in Chapter Twenty-Five?

Belet destroys the photo after discovering that Ishtar faked it—the image was not of her real parents. The deception shatters her sense of identity, and she lashes out in grief and anger. This moment reveals her deep vulnerability and the loneliness of being a divine orphan, even as she pushes Sik away.

Evidence context: In Chapter Twenty-Five, Belet admits “Mother knew that photo was fake” and rips it apart. She then runs off, refusing comfort. The scene highlights her unresolved grief and the tension between her desire for truth and her need for belonging.

6. What is the significance of the flower of immortality and its connection to Mo’s garden?

The flower grants healing and eternal life. Mo discovered a cutting and sent it to Sik, who unknowingly planted it; the flower then made Sik immortal. The garden becomes a symbol of Mo’s love and legacy. Its loss when paved over forces Sik to rely on memory and friendship rather than a magical cure.

Evidence context: In Chapters Twenty-Three and Twenty-Four, Gilgamesh explains that the flower came from the snake that ate it from him, and Mo’s cutting grew into a new bloom. Sik learns the garden is destroyed, but later Baoud creates “Mo’s Promise” perfume from a preserved flower.

7. How does Daoud evolve from a sidekick to a crucial ally?

Initially Daoud is a comic-relief friend who films Sik for his vlog and avoids danger. However, he honors his promise to Mo by moving in to protect Sik, spends weeks preserving the flower as perfume, and finally charges Idiptu with a frying pan. His courage and resourcefulness make him essential to the final victory.

Evidence context: In Chapter Ten, Daoud reveals Mo made him promise to look after Sik. In Chapter Thirty-Six, he single-handedly dilutes the perfume to maximize its reach, and in Chapter Thirty-Seven he attacks Idiptu. His transformation is gradual but decisive.

8. What does the shipping container with the “Gilgamesh lied” graffiti tell us about Nergal’s psychology?

The obsessive repetition of those two words, covering every surface in multiple languages, shows Nergal is trapped in a loop of bitterness and paranoia. He cannot move past what he perceives as Gilgamesh’s betrayal. This psychological wound drives him to seek the flower not just for healing but to prove his own superiority.

Evidence context: In Chapter Twelve, Belet and Sik examine the container’s walls, noting the same phrase repeated thousands of times. Belet says “It’s all the same thing.… ‘Gilgamesh lied.’” The insane level of detail reveals Nergal’s fixation.

9. Why does Gilgamesh refuse to fight Nergal in Chapter Twenty-Three, and how does this reflect his transformation?

Gilgamesh has become a pacifist after millennia of violence. He chooses to tend his garden and offer herbal remedies rather than pick up a sword. This refusal stems from his realization that true heroism is not about defeating monsters but about nurturing life—a lesson he learned from losing Enkidu.

Evidence context: In Chapter Twenty-Three, Gilgamesh tells Sik and Belet “I no longer meddle with gods” and sends them to fetch the flower instead of fighting. His rejection of direct combat marks his departure from the warrior king he once was.

10. How does the battle between Ishtar and Nergal in Chapter Eighteen mirror the larger conflict between love and hate?

Ishtar’s divine power comes from passion, love, and war, while Nergal feeds on hatred, decay, and fear. Their clash literally warps reality—a “god surge” that cracks buildings. Ishtar’s sacrifice (she is killed by Nergal) shows that love and protection can be selfless, while Nergal’s brutality reveals the emptiness of hatred.

Evidence context: In Chapters Seventeen and Eighteen, Ishtar faces Nergal after Demons destroy her home. The god surge is described as “reality warping around them.” Nergal impales her, and she disintegrates into starlight. This battle symbolizes the cosmic opposition at the novel’s core.

11. What role does the golden lion ring play, and how does it lead Sik to Gilgamesh?

Ishtar gives Sik the ring in Chapter Sixteen, telling him to return it to its owner in Central Park. The ring serves as a royal seal, granting safe passage. When Sik and Belet enter the park’s hidden glass ziggurat, the ring’s owner reveals himself: Gilgamesh. It becomes the key to unlocking the flower’s secret and finding a cure.

Evidence context: In Chapter Sixteen, Ishtar hands Sik the king’s seal ring. In Chapter Twenty-Two, Sik uses it to navigate the park, and the ziggurat’s gardener (Gilgamesh) claims it. Gilgamesh then explains the flower’s history and agrees to help brew a cure.

12. Why does Sikander choose to jump into the thunderhead with the cure in Chapter Thirty-Nine?

Sik sacrifices his own chance to survive because spreading the cure through rain is the only way to save the city. He refuses Nergal’s offer to heal his parents in exchange for the flower, choosing the greater good. This leap of faith—trusting the storm to spread Mo’s Promise—defines his heroism.

Evidence context: In Chapter Thirty-Nine, Sik battles Nergal in the sky. He opens the tub of cure and jumps into a thunderhead, letting the rain disperse the healing liquid. After falling thousands of feet, he wakes alive but bruised, having saved everyone.

13. What does Belet’s rejection of Nergal’s offer in Chapter Forty say about her independence?

When Nergal, dying, proposes they rescue Ishtar together, Belet refuses: “No, Uncle. I can do that by myself.” This shows she has grown from a goddess’s daughter into her own person. She no longer needs allies to prove her worth; she will reclaim her mother on her own terms.

Evidence context: In Chapter Forty, Nergal weakens from the rain cure. Belet presses Kasusu to his throat, and when he offers a partnership, she rejects it. Shortly after, he dies. Belet later tells Sik she will journey to Kurnugi alone.

14. How does the theme of “immortality as a sickness” culminate in Nergal’s death?

Sik realizes that the rain infused with Mo’s Promise cures the plague but also strips Nergal of his immortality, treating it as a disease. Nergal’s centuries-long lifespan becomes a curse that rots him from within. His death is not glorious but pathetic—a decay accelerated by what once sustained him.

Evidence context: In Chapter Forty, Nergal’s wings molt, his skin shrivels, and he begs for mercy. Sik says, “Immortality is a sickness. You’ve been cured.” The god dissolves into a swarm of flies, leaving only feathers. This inverts the typical divine victory.

15. In Chapter Eleven, how does Sikander’s visit to the masjid’s kebab kitchen highlight themes of community and resilience?

Sik brings Belet to the Dar al‑Islam masjid, where the imam and his son repair hate-crime vandalism while serving free meals. The diverse crowd—including homeless Ada—shows that community bonds resist fear and decay. This scene grounds the supernatural plot in real-world kindness and reminds Sik that heroism begins with helping neighbors.

Evidence context: In Chapter Eleven, Sik and Belet find the masjid scrubbing graffiti and feeding a long line of people. Ada reveals Nergal’s shipping container. The imam’s calm response to vandalism and the communal meal embody the resilience Nergal cannot destroy.

For deeper analysis, visit the main book page, the ending explained, or character profiles for Sikander Aziz, Belet, and Gilgamesh. Explore themes of mortality and immortality, heroism and sacrifice, and family and brotherhood.