Chapter 19: More About Those Dumplings 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
The chapter opens with Brother Diaz writing a letter to his mother, praising Bishop Apollonia as a model of virtue. The company finally reaches Venice. Brother Diaz begins teaching Princess Alexia to write the letter "A." Their lesson is interrupted by Vigga, who boasts about a sexual encounter witnessed by other pilgrims. Bishop Apollonia approaches Diaz and reveals she knows his true name. She demands that Princess Alexia be handed over to her in exchange for relics from Duke Constans of Troy. When Diaz refuses, Apollonia rallies the pilgrim company against them, branding them heretics and monsters. Balthazar brandishes a sorcerous severed hand, and Vigga begins to transform. Sunny takes Bishop Apollonia hostage. At the height of the confrontation, Baron Rikard climbs into the portable pulpit and delivers a mesmeric speech about his wife's castle and dumplings. His glamour causes everyone to drop their weapons and forget the conflict. The baron orders the pilgrims to continue to Cyprus and forget the whole incident. He also curses Apollonia with an unreachable itch. The company slips away toward Venice, with Diaz still entranced by the baron's words.
Key Events
- Brother Diaz writes a letter praising Bishop Apollonia, then sees Venice for the first time.
- Diaz begins teaching Alexia to write the letter "A" using a pen and paper.
- Vigga announces that she was caught having sex with two pilgrims; the incident becomes known among the company.
- Bishop Apollonia confronts Diaz, reveals she knows his false identity, and demands Princess Alexia.
- Apollonia offers the group a chance to leave peacefully if they surrender Alexia; Diaz refuses angrily.
- Apollonia rallies the pilgrims and her guards against the Chapel of the Holy Expediency, calling them heretics and monsters.
- Balthazar produces a severed hand that moves and sparks, confirming he is a sorcerer.
- Vigga rips off her habit, begins to transform, and grows fangs.
- Sunny materializes and holds a knife to Bishop Apollonia's throat.
- Baron Rikard climbs into the portable pulpit and begins a hypnotic speech about his wife Lucrezia, her castle, and local dumplings.
- The glamour causes all pilgrims and guards to drop weapons and fall into reverent attention.
- Rikard commands them to forget the elf, the sorcery, and the princess, then adds a curse of an itchy unreachable spot on Apollonia.
- The company escapes down the slope toward Venice; Baptiste identifies the effect as glamour that will fade in a few hours.
- Diaz, still under the glamour's lingering influence, asks eagerly about the dumplings.
Character Development
- Brother Diaz: Undergoes a complete reversal. He begins the chapter idolizing Bishop Apollonia as a saint, then witnesses her hypocrisy and greed. His rage at her betrayal gives him a new assertiveness ("Think Brother Diaz found his balls"). The experience shatters his trust in outward piety and leaves him vulnerable to the baron's glamour.
- Princess Alexia: Shows a playful, childlike side when learning to write. She demonstrates resilience, having grown up on the streets and claiming she won't be shocked by Vigga's stories.
- Bishop Apollonia: Exposed as a fraud. She claims to be a model of virtue but is willing to trade Alexia for relics and personal advancement. Her public denunciation of the group reveals her ambition and lack of genuine faith.
- Baron Rikard: Displays his vampire powers for the first time in a nonviolent way. His use of glamour highlights his age, cunning, and preference for manipulation over direct confrontation. The speech about his wife and dumplings is deliberately banal yet utterly captivating.
- Vigga, Balthazar, Baptiste, Jakob of Thorn: Each contributes to the group's defense. Vigga's transformation and Balthazar's sorcery confirm their monstrous natures. Baptiste remains pragmatic and alert. Jakob is ready to fight but defers to the baron's intervention.
- Sunny: Demonstrates stealth and quick thinking by taking Apollonia hostage, though she has no clear plan beyond that.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Hypocrisy and False Piety: Bishop Apollonia is the chapter's central symbol of religious hypocrisy. She preaches the Twelve Virtues while plotting to sell out a princess for relics.
- Glamour and Deception: Baron Rikard's glamour is a literal form of deception that forces others to see what he wants. It mirrors the chapter's broader theme of people being misled by appearances—Diaz by Apollonia, the pilgrims by the bishop, and everyone by the baron.
- Power of Storytelling: The baron's rambling monologue about dumplings and wallpaper becomes more compelling than any sermon. It satirizes how easily people are captivated by confident, charismatic speech, regardless of content.
- Loyalty vs. Self-Interest: Diaz chooses to stay with the devils rather than surrender Alexia, despite his earlier doubts. Apollonia abandons any pretense of holiness for personal gain.
- Transformation: Both literal (Vigga's partial wolf transformation) and figurative (Diaz's disillusionment). The chapter marks a turning point in how the group sees itself and is seen by others.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter is a turning point for Brother Diaz's character arc. His disillusionment with Bishop Apollonia forces him to reevaluate his understanding of virtue and authority. It also showcases the power of the group's supernatural members—the vampire's glamour, the werewolf's strength, the sorcerer's hand, and the elf's stealth—while emphasizing that they prefer to avoid violence when possible. The confrontation with the pilgrims and the bishop raises the stakes for the journey, as the group is now hunted by both the Church and Duke Constans of Troy. Finally, the baron's speech provides the chapter's title and a darkly comic highlight, mixing the mundane (dumplings) with the sublime (mind control). The glamour motif will likely echo in later conflicts where persuasion trumps force.
Study Questions and Answers
1. What does Brother Diaz's reaction to Baron Rikard's glamour reveal about his psychological state at this point in the story?
Diaz is deeply shaken by Apollonia's betrayal and has lost his moral compass. His desperate eagerness to hear more about the dumplings shows that he is clinging to the glamour's false comfort because it offers a simple, beautiful distraction from the ugly reality he now faces. He craves certainty and purity, which the baron's voice seems to provide.
2. How does Bishop Apollonia's public accusation of heresy parallel earlier events in the novel?
Similar to the mob at the inn in previous chapters, Apollonia uses fear and religious rhetoric to turn a crowd against outsiders. The pilgrims are quick to believe the worst about the Chapel of the Holy Expediency because the bishop provides a target for their anxieties. This pattern shows how easily piety can be weaponized.
3. Why does Baron Rikard choose to use a boring, domestic speech rather than a dramatic display of power to resolve the conflict?
The baron's glamour works best when the audience is completely absorbed; a dramatic speech might provoke resistance. By talking about wallpaper, dumplings, and spring leaves, he lowers defenses and makes his words impossible to ignore. It also reflects his age and personality—he values subtlety and has a sense of humor about his own abilities.