Chapter 34 Summary: The Grassmarket
⚠️ Spoiler Warning: This guide contains detailed spoilers for the entire novel. Proceed only if you've finished reading or are comfortable knowing the plot.
Chapter 34: “The Grassmarket” follows the three young talents as they search for Albany Chandlers in Edinburgh while, back at Cairndale, Miss Davenshaw uncovers a hidden door in Dr. Berghast’s study—and something unsettling behind it.
Summary
The chapter opens in the dark, rainy countryside. Komako, Ribs, and Oskar hitch a ride on a peat cutter’s cart heading south into Edinburgh. The old driver never speaks, and the three children are too exhausted to talk. Lymenion, Oskar’s flesh giant, is left behind in a hedgerow, watching them go with a sad, unmoving face. Komako notices Oskar’s discomfort but assumes it’s about leaving Lymenion; Oskar reveals it’s actually his shoe—a nail has worked its way through the sole.
They arrive on Princes Street near the Scott Monument as dawn breaks. The city feels gray, lonely, and quiet. They have a name—Albany Chandlers—and Oskar believes it’s in the Grassmarket. Ribs kneels in the street, removes Oskar’s shoe, and uses a rock to hammer the nail flat. While she works, Komako and Ribs talk about Dr. Berghast. Komako worries he looks overwhelmed and doesn’t want to add to his burden; Ribs is more skeptical, suggesting Berghast already knows they’ve been sneaking around his office and the Spider. Oskar, meanwhile, frets about Miss Davenshaw, wondering if they should have left her a note. Komako points out that Miss Davenshaw is blind and can’t read, but she shares his concern.
After the shoe is fixed, they cross the now-busier streets. They agree that Ribs will do the talking because of her accent and confidence. Ribs tries out a refined, upper-class voice, but Komako and Oskar both tell her it’s terrible. Undeterred, Ribs pushes into a smoky pub to ask for directions. She emerges a few minutes later, claiming the patrons were impressed with her accent but that they’d never heard of Albany Chandlers. Before she can explain further, Komako spots a police constable approaching. The constable recognizes their Cairndale cloaks and stops them. He’s not hostile—his wife’s sister used to deliver goods to the estate—and he gives them directions to the Grassmarket via Victoria Street and West Port. He also offers to buy them food, but Komako politely declines.
They buy penny cakes from a hot cart and cross through the wet gardens toward the Old Town. The Grassmarket is grim and narrow, with crows perched on old cattle pens. They find the shop—a faded red awning, a dead rat on the steps, and a painted window reading “ALBANY CHANDLERS.” As they watch, the sign flips to OPEN, and a pale face appears in the glass before vanishing. Ribs, grinning, pulls her hood up and affects her fake accent again. Komako warns her to be careful and to come back immediately if she sees any sign of Brendan or the missing children. Ribs winks and crosses the street alone, leaving Komako and Oskar waiting.
The scene shifts to Cairndale at five minutes past nine. Miss Abigail Davenshaw, blind since birth, has noticed that none of the young talents appeared for breakfast or class. She moves through the manor using her heightened senses—feeling air pressure, temperature shifts, and the familiar bumps of the walls. She checks the girls’ dormitory and confirms that Komako and Ribs never slept there. She suspects the boys are with them, though she’s surprised Komako would trust Charlie and Marlowe.
Miss Davenshaw decides to check Dr. Berghast’s study. She knocks, gets no answer, and enters. The room smells of pipe smoke, coal, brandy, and something else—the boys’ scents. She calls out, but no one responds. Then she feels a cool draft and discovers a door in the wall, slightly ajar. She pulls it open and finds a circular staircase descending a long way. Despite her better judgment, she goes down. At the bottom is a small antechamber with a locked iron door. She taps on it and calls out for Charles and Marlowe. She hears rapid breathing and the clank of chains, then silence. The breathing doesn’t sound quite human. Slowly, she presses her ear to the cold metal and listens.
Key Events
- Komako, Ribs, and Oskar ride a peat cutter’s cart into Edinburgh, leaving Lymenion behind.
- Ribs repairs Oskar’s shoe, which has a nail in it.
- Ribs fails to get directions at a pub; a constable recognizes their Cairndale cloaks and directs them to the Grassmarket.
- They find Albany Chandlers; the sign flips to OPEN, and Ribs enters alone while Komako and Oskar wait.
- At Cairndale, Miss Davenshaw discovers the children missing from their beds.
- She searches Berghast’s study, finds a hidden door with a circular staircase, and descends to a locked iron door.
- She hears strange, non-human breathing from behind the door.
Character Development
Komako shows her protective side. She worries about Dr. Berghast’s exhaustion and doesn’t want to add to his stress, even as Ribs teases her for being too motherly. Komako also demonstrates quick thinking when the constable approaches—she steers the group away and later declines his offer of food, keeping their mission discreet. Her fear during the encounter reveals her vulnerability: without Lymenion or her ability to manipulate dust (the ground is too wet), she feels powerless.
Ribs continues to be the bold, comic relief. She insists on using a ridiculous upper-class accent, ignores Komako’s criticism, and strides into the pub without hesitation. Her confidence is both a strength and a liability—she’s willing to take risks, but she also nearly gets them into trouble with the constable. Her loyalty to the group is clear when she steps forward to answer the constable’s questions.
Oskar is the emotional center. He’s worried about Lymenion, then about Miss Davenshaw, and he’s the one who notices the nail in his shoe. His concern for others, even when they can’t see or read, shows his empathy. He also provides a moment of levity when he echoes Komako’s criticism of Ribs’s accent.
Miss Davenshaw emerges as a formidable figure. Though blind, she navigates the manor with extraordinary skill, using her senses of touch, smell, and hearing. Her decision to descend the hidden staircase—despite knowing it’s not the sensible thing—shows her courage and her determination to protect her wards. Her discovery of the iron door and the strange breathing hints at a deeper mystery within Cairndale.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Perception beyond sight is central to Miss Davenshaw’s section. She “sees” through sound, air pressure, and scent, and her blindness gives her a different kind of awareness. The chapter contrasts her heightened perception with the children’s limited vision in the rainy, gray city.
Vulnerability and powerlessness are emphasized when the constable stops the children. Komako realizes they are “as powerless as any three ordinary kids” without their abilities or Lymenion. The rain and wet ground strip them of their usual defenses.
Distrust of authority appears in the children’s fear of the constable. Komako knows that vagrancy is an excuse for police to do what they want, and she steers the group away from him even though he turns out to be helpful.
Secrecy and deception are woven throughout. The children are sneaking around, hiding their mission from Berghast and Miss Davenshaw. Miss Davenshaw, in turn, discovers a hidden door in Berghast’s study, suggesting that the institute’s leader has secrets of his own.
Class and social identity are highlighted by Ribs’s attempt to sound upper-class and the constable’s recognition of the Cairndale insignia. The children’s cloaks mark them as outsiders, and their poverty is hinted at when they buy penny cakes.
Loyalty and concern drive the children’s actions. Komako worries about Berghast, Oskar worries about Miss Davenshaw, and Ribs is fiercely protective of the group. Miss Davenshaw’s search for the children is also an act of loyalty.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens the mystery of Cairndale and Dr. Berghast. Miss Davenshaw’s discovery of a hidden iron door with non-human breathing behind it suggests that the institute harbors secrets far darker than the children’s escape. It also establishes Miss Davenshaw as a key player—she is not just a blind governess but a perceptive and brave investigator.
The chapter also shows the children’s resourcefulness and their limitations. Without their abilities or Lymenion, they are vulnerable in the city, and their success depends on luck and quick thinking. The arrival at Albany Chandlers—and Ribs’s decision to enter alone—sets up the next phase of their mission, while the cliffhanger of the iron door leaves readers eager to learn what lies beneath Cairndale.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Komako decline the constable’s offer of food, and what does this reveal about her priorities?
Komako declines because she wants to keep their mission discreet and avoid drawing attention. She also doesn’t want to accept charity from an authority figure. This shows her caution and her focus on the task at hand, even when she and the others are hungry.
2. How does Miss Davenshaw’s blindness affect her investigation of the missing children?
Her blindness forces her to rely on other senses—touch, smell, hearing, and air pressure. This makes her a more careful observer than someone who might rely on sight alone. She can tell the beds haven’t been slept in, she can smell the boys’ scents in Berghast’s study, and she can sense the draft from the hidden door. Her disability becomes an advantage.
3. What does the chapter suggest about the relationship between the children and Dr. Berghast?
The children have mixed feelings. Komako trusts him and worries about his well-being, while Ribs is more skeptical, suggesting he already knows everything they’ve done. The chapter hints that Berghast may be hiding something—the hidden door and the strange breathing suggest he has secrets that even Miss Davenshaw doesn’t know about.
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