The Devils Chapter 40: Loophole – 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
Brother Diaz and Vigga continue their pursuit of Princess Alex and the renegade elf Sunny. They pass through a devastated town littered with corpses from a recent sack. Vigga deduces that Sunny and Alex deliberately moved through the chaos to shake off pursuers. The trail ends at a river where they likely escaped by boat. As a mob approaches, Vigga and Diaz hide in a warehouse. Forced into close quarters, they have a raw conversation about Diaz’s past and his transformation. Vigga admits she needs calm heads to control her wolf side. In the darkness, she proposes a sexual encounter, arguing that her werewolf nature creates a loophole in monastic vows against lying with women or animals. After an initial refusal, Diaz gives in and kisses her, casting aside Saint Beatrix’s vial.
Key Events
- Diaz and Vigga cross through a sacked town, noting the heavy death toll.
- Vigga deduces that Sunny and Alex used the sack to lose their hunters.
- The pair locate the river where the fugitives escaped by boat.
- A mob approaches; Vigga and Diaz take cover in a warehouse.
- In hiding, Vigga confesses she needs help keeping her wolf muzzled.
- Diaz reflects on his past life before the monastery and how he has changed.
- Vigga questions the monastic rule on “fucking things that aren’t women or animals,” suggesting a loophole.
- After initially refusing, Diaz impulsively kisses Vigga, rejecting his vows.
Character Development
Brother Diaz confronts his old self—a man who acted without consequences. He acknowledges that his monastic discipline has not saved him from the same grim path as Vigga. His decision to break his vow shows a shift from rigid obedience to situational morality, and a willingness to accept intimacy with a monster he once feared.
Vigga reveals vulnerability for the first time. She admits her wolf side is a struggle and that she relies on Diaz’s calmer presence. Her proposition is both a genuine attempt at connection and a test of boundaries, blending her animalistic nature with human desire.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
- Loophole – The central motif: Vigga exploits a technical gap in Church rules to justify their union, highlighting how institutional codes fail to account for complex realities.
- Moral Compromise – Diaz abandons his vow when faced with overwhelming temptation, symbolising the collapse of his internal discipline under external pressure.
- The Monster as Protector – Vigga, a feared werewolf, has been Diaz’s protector throughout the journey, subverting the monster/human binary.
- Darkness and Intimacy – The warehouse darkness allows both characters to speak freely and act without shame, suggesting that moral clarity is often obscured in desperate circumstances.
Why This Chapter Matters
“Loophole” marks a pivotal shift in Diaz and Vigga’s relationship, moving from reluctant allies to intimate partners. Diaz’s choice to break his vow has lasting implications for his identity as a monk and his standing with the Church. The chapter also deepens Vigga’s character, showing her need for companionship and control. The loophole theme reinforces the novel’s exploration of rigid rules versus lived experience.
Study Questions and Answers
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Why does Diaz finally give in to Vigga’s proposition?
Diaz has been worn down by fear, exhaustion, and proximity. His earlier reflection on his past self reveals a longing for the freedom he once had. In the darkness, Vigga’s arguments dismantle his remaining moral defences, and he chooses the moment of connection over abstract duty. -
What does the loophole argument reveal about the Church’s moral system?
The Church’s rules are shown to be incomplete and unable to account for supernatural beings like werewolves. Vigga’s clever framing exposes the gap between written doctrine and lived reality, challenging the authority of such codes. -
How does Vigga’s confession about needing help change the reader’s view of her?
It humanises Vigga, who up to this point has been a brutal, nearly feral figure. Admitting that she needs Diaz to keep the wolf “muzzled” shows her self-awareness and dependence, making her a more sympathetic and complex character.