Chapter 26 Summary and Study Guide

⚠️ 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

The chapter opens in December 1594 in Kirkwall, Orkney, with Edward working high in the rafters of St. Magnus Cathedral. He is disguised as a mason's apprentice, assisting Mr. McNee with hauling pieces of red and yellow sandstone up and down the stairs while the hoist and pulley system is still being set up. Edward suspects the delay is deliberate—a punishment for being the son of a witch. To avoid recognition, he keeps his face scarf pulled up to his eyeline, and his fair hair is stained with sandstone dust, allowing him to blend in with the other workers.

The manuscript room where Edward works is being renovated for Earl Patrick, who has commissioned a vaulted ceiling and four sculptures of heavenly figures holding scrolls. The work is dangerous, requiring craftsmen to balance on planks high above the ground, tethered by ropes.

Despite the physical toll, Edward finds some relief in the repetitive labor. His mother's accusation and imprisonment in Kirkwall Castle has upended his life, and he carries a heavy burden of guilt, believing he is to blame and that every thought now must be about making things right.

While climbing the staircase, Edward spots a flash of deep red—a burgundy velvet cloak with gold edging, clothing reserved for royalty. It is Earl Patrick, present in the cathedral. A sculptor asks Edward to swap a chisel for a sharp knife, and as Edward descends, he slows near the hallway where he saw the earl. Hearing voices from a room with a door ajar, he risks eavesdropping.

Inside, the earl is speaking with an older man. The earl says a new installment is not to his liking and demands that a certain person be gotten rid of. The older man notes that the bishops favor the woman's lawyer, and the earl insists the task falls within the older man's remit. The older man—revealed to be Father Colville—says he has already sent someone to remove this stumbling block. Edward realizes they are speaking of Mr. Couper, his mother's lawyer.

Edward races from the cathedral to Mr. Couper's lodgings along the seafront. He tears off his disguise and identifies himself as Madam Balfour's son. After catching his breath, he relays what he overheard. Mr. Couper grows pale and is silent for a long time.

Couper then explains the broader political situation. The rebels who wish to oust the earl have already faced his oppression and are frightened. Couper believes Madam Balfour's incarceration is meant to show what the earl will do to anyone who withstands him. He reveals that the earl is rumored to be planning to sell the Isle of Gunn and Gairsay, which would displace every family on those islands. Couper stresses the importance of showing the earl that Orkney will not tolerate this.

Couper asks where Edward is staying, and Edward mentions he stays with Mr. McNee, sometimes sleeping in the belfry. Couper warns it may be too dangerous for Edward to return to Gunn and asks about his father.

Their conversation is interrupted by a thumping at the door. Couper quickly directs Edward into a crawl space in the wall and moves a fire screen across the entrance just as the door swings open. The men ask for the witch's representative. Couper denies knowing any witches, but the men push past him, knocking over an inkwell and scattering papers. Couper protests that these are court documents and that the king will hear of this, but there is no answer—only the sound of fists striking flesh, cries of pain, and Couper's pleas for them to stop. Edward, trembling in his hiding place, buries his fist in his mouth to keep from crying out as he hears the heavy thud of a body hitting the ground.

Key Events

Edward works disguised as a mason's apprentice in St. Magnus Cathedral, hiding his identity with a face scarf and dust-stained hair.
He spots Earl Patrick in the cathedral and overhears him speaking with Father Colville about removing the woman's lawyer.
Father Colville reveals he has already sent someone to eliminate the lawyer.
Edward races to warn Mr. Couper, revealing his identity.
Couper explains the earl's plans to sell the Isle of Gunn and Gairsay and the political purpose behind Madam Balfour's imprisonment.
Armed men arrive at Couper's lodgings; Couper hides Edward in a crawl space.
The men identify Couper as the witch's representative and beat him while Edward listens helplessly.

Character Development

Edward is defined in this chapter by guilt and resolve. He believes he is to blame for his mother's situation, and his internal monologue reveals a boy consumed by the need to make things right. His decision to eavesdrop on the earl, despite knowing the penalty could be lashes or the stocks, shows both recklessness and courage. When he realizes the earl's target is Mr. Couper, he acts immediately, running to warn the lawyer. His helplessness during the assault—trembling, muffling his cries—underscores his youth and the limits of his agency.

Mr. Couper emerges as a principled but vulnerable figure. He is aware of the political stakes, understands the earl's strategy of intimidation, and is committed to resisting the land seizures. His quick thinking in hiding Edward shows his protective instinct, but his inability to defend himself against the attackers reveals how isolated the lawyer's position has become.

Earl Patrick is shown as calculating and ruthless, using both the church (through Father Colville) and violence to remove obstacles. His language—calling the lawyer a stumbling block and an installment—dehumanizes his targets.

Father Colville represents the corruption within the church, willing to carry out the earl's violent orders.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Concealment and disguise: Edward's face scarf and stained hair allow him to hide in plain sight, a motif that runs throughout the chapter. His disguise is both protective and isolating.

Eavesdropping and secrets: Edward's overheard conversation drives the plot, and the chapter emphasizes the power of hidden knowledge. The cathedral's acoustics—echoing in open spaces but crisp in small rooms—make eavesdropping possible.

Political conspiracy and abuse of power: The earl's plot to remove the lawyer, sell the islands, and use Madam Balfour's imprisonment as intimidation reveals the witch trial as a political weapon rather than a matter of justice.

Violence against defenders: The beating of Mr. Couper shows the physical cost of opposing the earl. The lawyer's appeals to the king go unanswered.

Land seizure and displacement: Couper's explanation of the planned sale of the Isle of Gunn and Gairsay connects the witch trial to a broader campaign of dispossession. Edward imagines the cottages in flames, the church, the fairy glen, and the Triskele stones destroyed—cultural heritage at risk.

Guilt and self-blame: Edward's conviction that he is responsible for his mother's fate drives his actions but also weighs on him heavily.

Corruption within the church: Father Colville's role in ordering violence against the lawyer implicates religious authority in the earl's schemes.

Why This Chapter Matters

This chapter escalates the stakes of the novel by moving the conspiracy from courtroom maneuvering to direct violence. The earl's plot against Mr. Couper confirms that Madam Balfour's trial is not an isolated injustice but part of a larger campaign of intimidation and land seizure. Edward's role as witness—first to the earl's conversation, then to the assault—positions him as a key figure in the resistance, even if he is powerless to intervene in the moment. The chapter also deepens the political context of the witch trial, showing that the accusation against Madam Balfour serves the earl's broader ambitions. The attack on Couper, who represents the legal challenge to the earl's authority, signals that the earl will use any means to maintain control.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Edward believe the delay in setting up the hoist is personal?

Edward suspects the delay is a punishment for being the son of a witch. He feels the workmen and Mr. McNee are treating him differently because of his mother's accusation, and he has taken to wearing his face scarf at all times out of fear of being recognized.

2. What does Mr. Couper reveal about the earl's plans, and how does this connect to Madam Balfour's imprisonment?

Couper reveals that the earl is rumored to be planning to sell the Isle of Gunn and Gairsay, which would displace every family on those islands. He believes Madam Balfour's incarceration is an attempt by the earl to demonstrate what he will do to anyone who withstands him—using the witch trial as a political weapon to intimidate opponents and clear the way for land seizures.

3. How does Edward's decision to eavesdrop on the earl reflect his character at this point in the novel?

Edward knows the penalty for eavesdropping could be ten lashes or the stocks, yet he cannot persuade his body to turn away. His decision reflects both his desperation to understand what is happening to his mother and his growing courage. He is willing to risk punishment to gather information, and when he realizes the earl's target is Mr. Couper, he acts immediately, running to warn the lawyer despite the danger to himself.