Chapter summaries The Devils Joe Abercrombie

The Devils Chapter 68: Unacceptable Behaviour – 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

Balthazar confronts Eudoxia, who now occupies Severa's body. After a magical duel, they pause and negotiate. Eudoxia offers an alliance, but Balthazar declines, citing his papal binding and his choice to serve Alexia. Below the Athenaeum, Brother Diaz and Baptiste face the monstrous patchwork creature Eudoxia created. Brother Diaz's prayer causes it to recoil, but the Vigga-wolf bursts from its remains. Baptiste steps forward, screams "Unacceptable Behaviour," but the wolf attacks. Meanwhile, atop the Pharos, Alex fights Duke Michael, who reveals he poisoned her mother and started the civil war. As Michael strangles Alex, Jakob of Thorn erupts from Saint Natalia's Flame, dragging Michael off the lighthouse to their deaths. Balthazar returns to find Baptiste dead, killed by Vigga in wolf form. He screams at Vigga in horror.

Key Events

Balthazar and Eudoxia (in Severa’s body) cease their duel and converse; Eudoxia reveals she took Severa’s body because hers was dying.
Eudoxia offers Balthazar an alliance; he refuses because of his papal binding and his commitment to Alexia.
Brother Diaz uses Saint Beatrix’s vial and a desperate prayer to halt the patchwork creature, but the Vigga-wolf erupts from it.
Baptiste confronts the Vigga-wolf, shouting that its behaviour is unacceptable — but the wolf kills her.
Alex fights Duke Michael atop the Pharos; Michael admits he poisoned Alex’s mother and started the civil war.
Jakob of Thorn, aflame, bursts from Saint Natalia’s Flame and tackles Duke Michael off the lighthouse; both fall to their deaths.
Balthazar returns to the Athenaeum garden to find Vigga covered in gore, Baptiste dead, and the werewolf vomiting up evidence of her kill.

Character Development

Balthazar — Chooses loyalty over ambition, turning down Eudoxia’s offer. He imagines being seen as a good man, a novel self-conception. His horror at Baptiste’s death shows a capacity for genuine grief.

Eudoxia — Displays a rare moment of self-reflection, admitting the throne brought her no good. She releases Balthazar and seemingly abandons her bid for power, but her offer of alliance reveals her manipulative nature remains.

Alex — Fights dirty and refuses to stay down, even when beaten. Her street-rat instincts serve her in the final struggle. Her emotional plea for pity and subsequent attack show her resourcefulness.

Duke Michael — Fully revealed as the mastermind behind the civil war and the poisoner of Alex’s mother. His arrogance leads to his downfall when Jakob sacrifices himself to take Michael out.

Jakob of Thorn — Makes a final, fiery sacrifice, dragging Duke Michael from the lighthouse. His death is heroic and redeems his earlier failures.

Vigga — Transforms into the wolf unintentionally and kills Baptiste, her friend. She is shown weeping and vomiting in horror afterward, suggesting guilt and loss of control.

Brother Diaz — His genuine prayer works for the first time, showing growth in faith, but the respite is short-lived.

Baptiste — Dies trying to reach the person inside the wolf. Her shout of “unacceptable behaviour” underscores her attempt to impose humanity on the monstrous.

Themes, Symbols, or Motifs

Transformation and Identity — Eudoxia’s body-snatching, Vigga’s werewolf transformation, and the patchwork monster all explore the boundaries of self and the costs of change.

Sacrifice and Redemption — Jakob gives his life to save Alex; Brother Diaz prays with real belief; even Balthazar turns from ambition to service. These acts suggest redemption is possible but costly.

Power and Its Corruption — Duke Michael’s entire scheme is driven by a lust for power; Eudoxia admits the throne brought her no good. The chapter questions whether power is ever worth the price.

Unacceptable Behaviour — Baptiste’s line becomes a title motif. It challenges the violence and inhumanity of the world, but her death shows that morality alone cannot stop monsters.

Why This Chapter Matters

This is a turning point where multiple plot threads converge: Balthazar’s internal conflict resolves (he chooses his new path), Duke Michael’s scheme ends, Alex survives to rule, and Baptiste’s death devastates the Chapel of the Holy Expediency. It sets up the final confrontation with Eudoxia and the moral reckoning for Vigga.

Study Questions and Answers

Why does Eudoxia decide not to attack Balthazar after their duel? She realizes that destroying him would cost her too much and that he would make a better ally or rival than a corpse. She also admits the throne may not be worth pursuing.
How does Alex win the fight against Duke Michael despite being physically weaker? She uses dirty tactics: biting his nose, kneeing him in the groin, and gouging his eye. These street-fighting techniques, learned in the slums, give Jakob the opening he needs to sacrifice himself.
What does Brother Diaz’s successful prayer suggest about his character arc? For the first time, he prays with genuine desperation and faith, not just rote words. Though the miracle is temporary, it shows that his spiritual growth is real, even if it cannot save Baptiste.