Chapter 124 – Fourth Interlude: Gwen, Under Attack

⚠️ 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

Robin Fellows, driven by a disturbing Vine video of a man swallowing a goat, returns to Slaughterbridge in Camelford. She speaks with a homeless man, Glen Schrödinger, who hints that Arthur Oakes died friendless underground. Robin later confronts Stuart Finger, a troll, and learns that Colin Wren was the one who killed Arthur. She FaceTimes Gwen Underfoot, shaken and confessing she may have killed Finger. Colin, who has been secretly monitoring Gwen’s communications, watches the recording and remains amused rather than alarmed. Days later, Gwen plows snow and talks with an imaginary version of Arthur, debating how to find proof of Colin’s betrayal. She researches past victims from their Enemies List, suspecting Colin may have fabricated evidence. At a gathering to choose the next person to feed King Sorrow, Gwen sits with Allison Shiner and Donna McBride, both visibly worn by their decades of murder. Meanwhile, Daphne Nighswander is released from a West Virginia prison after thirty years, muttering a list of names and vowing to find her daughter’s old friends.

Key Events

• Robin watches a viral Vine showing a man called @onepurrfection film a Liam-Gallagher‑looking figure swallow a goat whole.
• She drives to Camelford and descends to Slaughterbridge, where she meets Glen Schrödinger, who speaks cryptically about Arthur Oakes dying without a true friend.
• Robin locates the troll Stuart Finger (the goat‑eater) and attacks him; she later tells Gwen she thinks she killed him and that Finger confessed Colin murdered Arthur.
• Colin, having equipped Gwen with a laptop that records all her activity, watches the FaceTime conversation and feels a thrill rather than fear.
• Gwen plows Colin’s driveway while talking to an internal version of Arthur, who urges her to look for proof.
• She searches through the Enemies List and finds a case (a Congolese lawyer) where Colin may have forged intelligence to justify a murder.
• Gwen meets Allie and Donna at Colin’s house for their ritual choosing of the next victim; she notices how hollow Allie and Donna have become.
• Daphne Nighswander is processed out of prison in West Virginia; she says she needs a car and a gun to visit her daughter’s friends.

Character Development

• Gwen Underfoot – Shifts from tentative denial to active suspicion. She begins to question the justice of their killings and to investigate Colin independently.
• Colin Wren – Revealed as a manipulative surveillance master who enjoys being discovered. His calm amusement shows a lack of remorse.
• Robin Fellows – Transformed from a passive, gossip‑seeking friend into a direct actor. She risks her safety to confirm the truth and pays a psychological price.
• Allison Shiner – Appears gaunt and alcohol‑dependent, leaning on Donna. Her earlier defiance has eroded into submission.
• Donna McBride – Has coarsened, using anger to mask grief over Van. She controls Allie and dismisses Robin’s concerns.
• Daphne Nighswander – Emerging from prison as a predator; her dead eyes and recited list of names signal she is hunting the group.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Surveillance and secrecy – Colin’s computer records every keystroke and call, giving him godlike knowledge over the group. The “locked cabinet” symbolises hidden evidence of his crimes.

Cyclical violence – Arthur’s old remark that trolls emerge “every nine years” mirrors the group’s own cycle of sacrificing people to King Sorrow. The pattern of killing replicates itself.

Grief as a haunting – Gwen’s imaginary Arthur is not a delusion but a “ghost” created by love. The motif of internal ghosts runs through all the survivors.

Trust as a weapon – Colin uses the others’ trust to shape their moral choices. The Congo lawyer case shows how easily he could forge evidence to make murder seem righteous.

The cost of killing – The physical deterioration of Allie (heroin‑chic thinness) and Donna (hard, flushed face) illustrates how decades of murder deform the soul.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter marks a turning point. The secret about Arthur’s murder is finally spoken aloud, and Gwen begins to act on her suspicion. Colin’s surveillance is exposed, raising the stakes for any attempt to confront him. The release of Daphne Nighswander introduces an external antagonist who will converge on the group, forcing them to face both old crimes and new threats. The interlude also deepens the novel’s moral ambiguity: even if Colin is guilty, Gwen, Allie, and Donna are complicit in his system.

Study Questions and Answers

1. How does Robin’s encounter with Glen Schrödinger foreshadow the truth about Arthur’s death? Glen says Arthur went underground with Colin and Stu Finger but “still went friendless,” implying Arthur was betrayed. He also states that “very few are allowed a noble end,” which echoes the manner of Arthur’s actual death – stabbed by a friend rather than in a heroic struggle.

2. Why does Colin choose to laugh when he learns Gwen knows about Arthur’s murder? Colin has spent years reading the minds of his friends through surveillance equipment. Discovery gives him a thrill because it confirms his power and control. He views the situation as a game he can still manipulate, especially since he maintains access to Gwen’s data.

3. What is the significance of the scene in which Daphne Nighswander recites a list of names? The “list of names” references the same Enemies List (or the group’s members) that the group used to select victims for King Sorrow. Daphne’s release and muttered list establish her as a coming threat – she knows who was close to her daughter Cady and intends to exact revenge.

Navigate

• Chapter 123: Gwen, Under Attack (Part 3)
• Chapter 125: Gwen, Under Attack (Part 5)
• Book hub: King Sorrow