Chapter Twenty: With Hammer, with Chisel
⚠️ 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
Bartholomew stands before the basin where the Ardent Oarsman awaits. Maude and Benji erupt into panic when they learn she cannot swim. The gargoyle flees after Maude yells at him, then returns carrying Bartholomew’s hammer and chisel. Maude offers her battle-axe, but Bartholomew chooses the familiar tools. Rory tells her a story about a foundling boy who learned to believe because of a woman—himself and Bartholomew—and predicts that the chapter will end with her victory and a kiss. Bartholomew steps into the Oarsman’s boat and reaches the platform. The Oarsman attacks with his oar, which can control water and teleport him. After several blows, he bites her neck and drinks her blood, revealing that he has fed on Diviners every ten years. Bartholomew headbutts him and demands to know the fate of the lost Diviner. The Oarsman admits that he killed a Diviner a week ago and declares all Diviners dead. He then smashes the platform, and Bartholomew falls into the water.
Key Events
- Maude, Benji, and Rory learn Bartholomew cannot swim; tension escalates.
- The gargoyle runs away when Maude shouts, then returns with Bartholomew’s hammer and chisel.
- Bartholomew rejects Maude’s axe and accepts her own tools.
- Rory tells Bartholomew a story of a faithless foundling who finds belief through a woman, ending with her victory and a kiss.
- Bartholomew boards the Oarsman’s boat and faces him on the platform.
- The Oarsman uses his oar to summon waves and teleport; he strikes Bartholomew multiple times.
- The Oarsman bites Bartholomew’s neck, drinking her blood and commenting on the spring in her veins.
- Bartholomew slams her head into the Oarsman, prompting him to reveal that he has killed Diviners every ten years, including one a week ago.
- Bartholomew drives her chisel into the Oarsman’s heart, defeating him.
- The Oarsman breaks the platform, and Bartholomew plunges into the water.
Character Development
Bartholomew grows more resolute, choosing her own tools over magic objects and facing the Omen without relying on her companions. Her willingness to endure pain and violence reveals a fierce survival instinct, and her demand for the truth about the lost Diviner shows her deepening commitment to her role.
Rory shows vulnerability by sharing a personal story that mirrors his own past. His faith in Bartholomew is explicit, and he risks revealing his emotions in front of the others.
Maude struggles with fear but ultimately shows faith by lending her axe and apologizing to the gargoyle. Benji displays a rare flash of anger when he snaps at Maude, revealing his hidden temper.
The gargoyle proves his loyalty by returning with Bartholomew’s hammer and chisel, offering to carry them and calling himself her squire.
The Ardent Oarsman is unmasked as a cruel, predatory figure who has been feeding on Diviners for decades. His surprise at his own mortality and the revelation that Bartholomew’s shroudless eyes unnerve him hint at a deeper weakness.
Themes, Symbols, or Motifs
Belief vs. skepticism is central: the Oarsman calls himself a god, but Bartholomew’s story with Rory affirms that belief can be forged through human connection rather than divine power.
Stories as armor appears in Rory’s tale, which steadies Bartholomew before battle. Stories become a source of courage and a tool for reframing identity.
The hammer and chisel symbolize craftsmanship, the act of breaking and shaping. Bartholomew uses them to literally break the Omen’s heart, turning her ordinary tools into weapons of truth.
Blood and water merge throughout the chapter. The Oarsman drinks Bartholomew’s blood and calls it spring water, linking the Diviners’ life force to Aisling’s sacred spring. The imagery suggests consumption, sacrifice, and the cost of the Omens’ power.
The shroud as identity is highlighted when Bartholomew’s shroud is torn away, exposing her eyes and startling the Oarsman. Her uncovered face becomes a moment of power and vulnerability.
Why This Chapter Matters
This chapter delivers the first major victory over an Omen, but it comes at a devastating cost: Bartholomew learns that previous Diviners have been killed, and she herself is now trapped in the water. The revelation that the Omens have been hunting Diviners every ten years recontextualizes the entire quest. It also deepens the bond between Bartholomew and Rory, whose story becomes a promise that she will survive. The cliffhanger ending raises the stakes for the next chapter.
Study Questions and Answers
1. Why does Bartholomew choose her hammer and chisel over Maude’s battle-axe?
She recognizes that the hammer and chisel are hers—familiar, non-magical tools that connect her to her past and her own strength. She wants to face the Omen on her own terms rather than relying on borrowed magic.
2. What does Rory’s story reveal about his past and his feelings for Bartholomew?
Rory’s story describes a foundling boy who grew up faithless and disdainful, then met a woman who made him believe things could be better. The story is clearly autobiographical, and by sharing it, Rory shows that Bartholomew has changed his worldview. The promised kiss implies romantic feelings and a belief in her survival.
3. How does the Oarsman’s admission about previous Diviners change the stakes of Bartholomew’s mission?
The Oarsman has killed at least one Diviner a week ago and claims that all Diviners are dead. This suggests that Bartholomew may be the last Diviner, and that the Omens have a system for consuming Diviners every ten years. The quest is no longer about rescue but about survival and breaking a cycle of sacrifice.