Chapter Twelve: Our Feet Will Take Us Where We Need to Go – 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

After fleeing the Harried Scribe’s lair, Bartholomew and the gargoyle escape into the Seacht. Bartholomew questions everything she once believed about the Omens, the abbess, and her own worth. The gargoyle steals food; they sleep in an abandoned forge. They then visit three Pupil Houses looking for missing Diviners, but find no trace. In an alley they stop three men chasing two young girls. A violent brawl erupts, and Bartholomew uses her hammer and fists. Guards arrest them and deliver them to a knight compound where Rodrick Myndacious waits. Rory pays the guards, releases them, and admits his disdain is not for Bartholomew. Maude appears, offering shoes and a plan to seek the king’s ear.

Key Events

Bartholomew bursts from the Harried Scribe’s lair, waking the gargoyle and insisting they must flee.
On a bridge, she confesses her doubt: the Omens might be a lie, and the abbess might not know the whole truth.
The gargoyle steals food and water; they rest in a ruined forge.
Bartholomew and the gargoyle wander the Seacht; she notes the poverty for the first time.
They visit Pupil House III, II, and I, asking each house mother about the Diviners—all answer no.
In an alley, Bartholomew trips a man chasing two girls, then fights three attackers with her hammer, aided by the gargoyle.
City guards arrest them and bring them to the knight compound.
Rodrick Myndacious pays off the guards and releases Bartholomew.
Rory admits his concern that she might not return and states his disdain is not for her.
Maude arrives, offers shoes and a bath, and hints at an audience with the king.

Character Development

Bartholomew: Begins the chapter shattered—her faith in the Omens, the abbess, and Aisling crumbles. She admits she thought herself better than others and now doubts her entire identity. For the first time she sees poverty and acts on instinct to protect vulnerable strangers. By the end she is more self-aware yet still lost.
The gargoyle: Remains loyal and oddly wise. He steals for survival, calls out Bartholomew’s prejudices, and provides comic relief. His growing attachment is clear when he gently offers a story and later fights at her side.
Rodrick Myndacious: Shows a softer side. He is visibly worried when he sees Bartholomew’s injuries, pays to free her, and reveals that his earlier harshness was never directed at her personally. This chapter humanizes him.
Maude: Appears briefly but reinforces her role as a connector and practical ally. Her promise to get Bartholomew the king’s ear sets up a key plot development.

Themes, Symbols, and Motifs

Truth and lies: Bartholomew directly questions whether the Omens are eternal or honest. The gargoyle suggests that even gods may not be truthful, and that all stories—including contentedness—are constructs.
Identity and worth: Bartholomew feels she is “only ever a Diviner—a tool, not a human.” The gargoyle’s remark about looking up at something preventing clear vision mirrors her realization that Aisling’s hierarchy distorted her sense of self.
Poverty and class: The Seacht’s night-time inhabitants are described as children in rags and people washing in canals. Bartholomew’s shame at staring indicates a new awareness of social injustice.
Protective violence: Bartholomew uses her hammer and fists to defend the two girls, marking a departure from her passive Diviner role. The fight is instinctive rather than calculated.
The motif of feet guiding: The chapter title is echoed when the gargoyle says “Our feet will take us where we need to go.” The aimless wandering leads them to the Pupil Houses and then to the confrontation that results in reunion with Rory.

Why This Chapter Matters

Chapter Twelve is a turning point. Bartholomew’s internal crisis—losing faith in the Omens and her own identity—drives the emotional arc. The chapter solidifies her break from Aisling and her transition from obedient tool to active agent. It also deepens her relationship with the gargoyle, brings her back into contact with Rory on less hostile terms, and introduces the threat of a warrant, the reality of poverty, and the mystery of the missing Diviners. Maude’s promise of access to the king creates a new goal.

Study Questions and Answers

1. Why does Bartholomew feel she is “not a real woman” or “human” in this chapter? She explains that Diviners are seen as tools of Divination—holy but not fully human. The abbess taught her that her worth came from following rules, but now Bartholomew sees that this made her a martyr. She realizes that people will want her only for her role, not for who she is.

2. How does the gargoyle challenge Bartholomew’s view of hierarchy? He directly asks if she once thought herself better than him because she believed in a hierarchy—gargoyles below sprites, knights below kings. Bartholomew admits this is true and says it sounds awful when spoken aloud. The gargoyle replies that true things often do, forcing her to confront her own prejudice.

3. What does Rory mean when he says “Perhaps it’s why I worried you might be twenty miles away”? He acknowledges that his own cruel words could have driven her away. By admitting worry that she might not return, Rory shows vulnerability and indicates that his disdain was never for her personally but for the system she represented. His payment to free her reinforces this shift.