Chapter 116: The Sword of Strange Hangings and Colin's Betrayal
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Summary
Colin and Arthur, guided by the troll Svangur, descend into a subterranean chamber filled with bones and junk. Arthur speculates this is a plague site; the tomb in the center belongs to a knight. They lift the stone lid, revealing the Sword of Strange Hangings in a silk sheath, along with a protective robe and a vial of saint’s blood. Arthur draws the sword easily, feeling it affirm him. Colin takes the hilt and experiences a painful repulsion. As Arthur turns his back, Colin drives the sword through Arthur’s abdomen, explaining that Arthur had to be stopped, not the King. Colin whispers that Arthur is not the hero – he is.
Key Events
- Svangur leads Colin and Arthur through a wide tunnel into a bone-choked chamber lit by glowworms.
- Arthur identifies the space as an old plague den; a white stone tomb with a Celtic cross sits at the far end.
- Colin and Arthur lift the heavy lid; inside are the sword, a robe made of human hair, and a sealed phial.
- Arthur draws the sword, describing the sensation as “the whole world saying yes” and “like a first kiss.”
- Colin takes the blade, feels a painful electric repulsion, implying he could not have drawn it himself.
- While Arthur examines the tomb’s other contents, Colin stabs him from behind with the sword.
- Colin says Arthur had to be stopped – not the King – and declares himself the true hero of the story.
Character Development
- Arthur shows vulnerability and hope, believing his intentions will allow him to wield the sword. His trust in Colin proves fatal.
- Colin reveals his duplicity: he has been working against Arthur all along, justifying his betrayal by claiming the King’s actions are needed.
- Svangur and Finger – The trolls remain in the background; Svangur sulks about being mistreated, while Finger cowers under Arthur’s light. Their loyalties are ambiguous but they defer to Arthur’s authority until the betrayal.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- The Sword as a Moral Test – The weapon judges not past deeds but present intention. Arthur passes the test; Colin cannot touch it without pain.
- Betrayal and False Friendship – Colin’s sudden violence upends the journey’s emotional core. His earlier support for Arthur is revealed as a mask.
- The King’s Agenda – Colin’s claim that the King is “doing so much that needs doing” raises the question of what the King has actually accomplished and whether his methods are justified.
- Light and Illumination – The glowworms and flashlights create a visual motif of seeing clearly. Arthur’s flashlight is a weapon; Colin’s betrayal happens in the same light, showing how clarity can come too late.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter provides the story’s biggest reversal to date. The quest to obtain the sword ends not with a triumphant hero but with the hero’s murder by his closest ally. It redefines the narrative’s central conflict: Arthur believed he was fighting the King, but the real enemy was beside him. Colin’s declaration that he is the hero forces readers to question the reliability of every previous scene from his perspective. The chapter also completes the sword’s lore, confirming that it can cut anything and that only a good person can draw it.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why can’t Colin draw the sword from its sheath? Colin takes the hilt and feels a painful, electric repulsion – “like biting a sheet of tinfoil or licking a battery.” The sword judges its wielder’s moral worth; since Colin intends to use it for evil, the sword rejects him.
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What does Arthur say the sword judges, beyond past deeds? Arthur speculates that the sword judges what a person chooses to do now, not what they have done before. He hopes his sincere intention to stop the King will be enough for him to wield it.
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How does Colin justify his betrayal to Arthur? Colin says Arthur had to be stopped, not the King, because the King is “doing so much that needs doing.” He then claims that Arthur is not the hero of the story – Colin is.