Chapter 16: What Can Be Spared - Summary and Analysis
⚠️ 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
Chapter 16 follows Balthazar Sham Ivam Draxi as he trudges through a rain-soaked mountain pilgrimage with the Blessed Company. He despises the muddy, uncomfortable march, missing his luxurious vestments and magical tools. Balthazar is bound by a spell from “Her Holiness” (the Pope) and cannot use magic. He exchanges barbed words with Baron Rikard, a vampire who has been feeding on pilgrims, taking only “what can be spared.” Baptiste teases Balthazar, stirring unwanted feelings. The company reaches a shrine built into a cave, where Balthazar and Rikard debate the difference between magic and religion. Balthazar insists magic works, but Rikard points out that the necromancer remains trapped in a forced pilgrimage. Balthazar privately admits he may have underestimated the binding and still needs proper equipment to break it.
Key Events
- Balthazar complains internally about the miserable pilgrimage: the mud, rain, bad food, and insufferable companions.
- He trades insults with Baron Rikard, who admits to feeding on other pilgrims while claiming he is “gentle” and only takes “what can be spared.”
- Baptiste appears on a wall, taunts Balthazar, and splashes water on him, causing Balthazar to have a confused mix of anger and attraction.
- The procession stops at a shrine consisting of a bell tower and a cave, likely a repurposed pre-Christian holy site.
- Balthazar and Rikard discuss the nature of magic versus religion; Rikard questions the difference, and Balthazar snaps that “magic works.”
- Balthazar acknowledges to himself that the Pope’s binding is stronger than he thought, and he needs books, charts, reagents, and a staff to break free.
Character Development
- Balthazar: Arrogant and vain, he is humiliated by the pilgrimage and his powerless state. His internal monologue reveals narcissism, a flair for drama, and a surprising flicker of physical attraction toward Baptiste—though he quickly tries to suppress it. His desperation to break the binding shows his unwillingness to submit to authority.
- Baron Rikard: A vampire who grows younger by feeding, he presents himself as sophisticated and amoral. His “what can be spared” philosophy mirrors many real-world justifications for exploitation. He is pragmatic and treats Balthazar as a potential ally rather than an enemy.
- Baptiste: Sharp-tongued and supremely confident, she enjoys needling Balthazar. Her effortless cool contrasts with his flustered misery. She appears observant and possibly dangerous.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Humiliation and Pride: Balthazar’s pilgrimage is a forced exercise in humility. His fine robes and magical accomplishments are stripped away, leaving him in a drab, muddy habit that makes him “fundamentally the same as everyone else.”
- Magic vs. Religion: The central debate. Balthazar sees magic as effective and religion as hypocritical theater, yet he remains bound by a religious relic’s power. The shrine—a repurposed pagan site—highlights how faiths co-opt older practices.
- Exploitation and “What Can Be Spared”: Rikard’s feeding slur on the pilgrims is framed as a polite fiction for violence. Balthazar recognizes this as “the self-serving justification of every burglar, slaver, racketeer, and tyrant.” The phrase echoes throughout the chapter.
- Mud and Rain: Repeated descriptions of mud and wetness symbolize the degradation and monotony of the journey, mirroring Balthazar’s spiritual and physical discomfort.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter deepens Balthazar’s character, showing him at his most fragile and frustrated. It establishes the practical and philosophical conflict between magic and organized religion—a tension that will likely drive the story forward. The conversation with Rikard introduces a potential ally (or rival) who shares Balthazar’s cynical view of the world. The binding’s persistence raises the stakes: Balthazar is not free to walk away, and his pride may force him into dangerous choices.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Balthazar find the pilgrimage so unbearable?
He is accustomed to luxury, respect, and the trappings of his power as a magician. The rough conditions, dull company, and lack of magical ability humiliate him. He also resents being forced into a religious act he considers pointless. -
How does Baron Rikard justify his feeding on the pilgrims?
He claims he only takes “what can be spared” and does not feed on anyone he has been formally introduced to without permission, comparing it to “eating a pet.” Balthazar sees this as a thin rationalization for exploitation. -
What does the debate about magic versus religion reveal about Balthazar’s situation?
Balthazar insists magic works while religion is hypocrisy, yet he is currently unable to use magic due to a religious binding. This irony undermines his confidence and forces him to confront the possibility that the Pope’s power is real and effective, at least in this instance.