Chapter 58: 7:05 p.m. EST – King Sorrow’s Trap
⚠️ 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
Allie is on a British Airways 747 bound for London with Van and Robin Fellows, but she is gripped by dread. She already knows that Horation Matthews is aboard under the alias Randy Mathers. Van remembers a promise King Sorrow made years ago: as long as they are on the flight, the dragon cannot harm them. Allie reveals that King Sorrow himself told her the flight would be safe if she were on it, convincing her to board. Now Colin has warned her not to believe that. Allie’s anxiety forces her out of her seat; she stumbles into a lavatory during turbulence. In the dark, King Sorrow’s eye appears under the sink. He explains he is not physically present but is “skipping” in and out of reality, tracked by NORAD. He reveals the truth: he swore that no one but Horation needs to die — meaning Allie must kill Matthews herself before midnight. If she fails, he will destroy the plane and everyone aboard. The dragon sees this as keeping his word, as he promised protection only from human enemies, not from gravity or himself. Allie realizes the impossible riddle: how to murder a man on a crowded flight at thirty thousand feet without being stopped.
Key Events
- Allie boards the flight with Van and Robin; the plane takes off into heavy turbulence.
- Robin opens a bottle of Dragon Yard wine and they toast.
- Allie tells Van that Horation Matthews is on the plane under the name Randy Mathers.
- Van recalls King Sorrow’s old promise of protection; Allie reveals she acted on the dragon’s assurance that the flight would be safe.
- Colin’s warning casts doubt on that promise; Allie realizes she and Van may have been tricked.
- Allie leaves her seat, passes the two men (father and son) in row in front, and heads to the lavatory.
- In the dark lavatory, King Sorrow’s eye appears under the sink; he reveals he is not physically present but is closing in on the plane.
- King Sorrow explains he was at the Dresden firebombing and fought for Stalin’s mystic, Wolf Messing.
- He clarifies the true terms: no one else needs to die as long as Allie kills Horation herself before midnight. If she fails, he will destroy the plane.
- Allie pleads that there are children aboard; King Sorrow dismisses her.
- He presents the riddle: how to murder a man on a crowded flight at 30,000 feet before being stopped.
Character Development
- Allie transitions from guilt-ridden passenger to someone who understands she has been manipulated. Her hand on the corkscrew becomes a talisman; she compares herself to doomed characters Jayne Nighswander and Ronnie Volpe. She contrasts herself with Gwen, Colin, and Arthur, who would have avoided the trap.
- Van initially believes in the dragon’s promise, but his denial crumbles when Allie reveals the truth. He drinks straight from the bottle, showing his panic.
- King Sorrow reveals his ancient history (Dresden, Soviet mysticism) and his deceptive, legalistic nature. He takes pleasure in the challenge and treats the situation as a game.
- Robin Fellows appears as a supportive friend, unaware of the danger, cursing with English vigor and entrusting the wine to Allie.
- Frank Heck is briefly glimpsed watching Allie with sly eyes, suggesting he may be more aware than he lets on.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Deception and legalism: King Sorrow twists his own promise, exploiting a loophole between “protection from enemies” and protection from himself and gravity. The dragon’s words are weapons, as Arthur once said.
- The corkscrew as talisman: Allie grips the silver dragon‑shaped corkscrew like a rosary or holy medallion, a physical anchor against overwhelming dread.
- Flight and falling: Allie’s love of flying is soured; the plane becomes a cage. King Sorrow’s line about gravity frames the coming destruction as an act of physics, not malice.
- Midnight deadline: The countdown (4 hours 55 minutes to “dragonedy o’clock”) creates urgent tension and echoes fairy‑tale time limits.
- The riddle: King Sorrow presents Allie with an apparently impossible problem, forcing her to both solve it and act on it before time runs out.
Why This Chapter Matters
Chapter 58 is the turning point of the novel’s final act. King Sorrow’s deception is fully revealed, raising the stakes from a personal vendetta to a mass‑casualty event. Allie must now attempt an impossible murder while outwitting a dragon who has centuries of experience. The chapter also deepens King Sorrow’s character by showing his ancient, amoral perspective and his history with 20th‑century warfare. The countdown to midnight becomes the central engine for the remainder of the story.
Study Questions & Answers
1. What did King Sorrow actually promise, and how does he reinterpret that promise here?
He promised that if Allie were on the flight, no one but Horation needed to die. Allie understood this as a guarantee of safety for everyone except Horation. King Sorrow now reinterprets it to mean that she must kill Horation herself before midnight; otherwise, he will destroy the entire plane. He claims he protected her from human enemies, not from himself or gravity, so his word remains technically unbroken.
2. How does Allie’s view of herself change in this chapter?
Allie sees herself as a “drunk and a cokehead” who has inevitably messed up a simple instruction. She contrasts herself with Gwen, Colin, and Arthur, who would have seen through the trap. She feels like a character doomed from the start (Jayne Nighswander and Ronnie Volpe). Yet her grip on the corkscrew and her plea for the children show a survivor’s instinct emerging.
3. What is the significance of King Sorrow’s mention of Dresden and Wolf Messing?
He reveals he has existed for centuries and has participated in large‑scale destruction, including the firebombing of Dresden. The reference to Wolf Messing, Stalin’s mystic, ties King Sorrow to Soviet occult history and implies he has served human masters before. This contextualizes his amorality: he views modern passenger jets as merely a “new challenge” in a long career of causing death.