Showdown at Cahokia
The Five-Minute Witchy War, Part 7
When we left our heroes, Sarah and Co. were fleeing Angleton/Cromwell/Berkeley and their associates, the Lazars.
I haven’t elaborated before, but “Lazar” is an old word associated with lepers, or people who are so sick they appear to be dead. It shares a root with the name “Lazarus,” who was raised from the dead by Christ during His ministry. A fitting slang word for necromantic thralls.
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Chapter 26
We’re in the action phase of the book, so the bulk of the word count is tied up in describing the action. Cool things are happening. You’ll recall that in chapter 25, Sarah crafted a magical decoy of herself for Angleton and the Lazars to follow. Angleton and Berkeley found the decoy and, using logic, didn’t immediately fall for it. One of the Lazars though (Robert Hooke) ignored their warnings and went after it. This sprung a trap that dragged him into the Mississippi and killed him.
Meanwhile, Team Sarah arrives at the foothills of her late father’s burial site.
Chapter 27
Captain Berkeley uses logic, but also puts a lot of stock in Tarock (tarot) cards. Certain omens in the cards bode ill for him, as factors in the conflict are changing. When Angleton and Berkeley arrive in the foothills of Cahokia, they realize they’re in for a diplomatic exchange between themselves, the Cahokians, and those loyal to Emperor Thomas Penn in the northeast. Angleton and Berkeley act as representatives of the chevalier of New Orleans.
Jacob Hop also returns, the alleged deafmute who can turn into a heron. He represents the beastkind, who are under the banner of Cahokia. The Heron King of Cahokia wants a marriage alliance with Sarah, while the chevalier of New Orleans wants her to rule from his city so they can both oppose Emperor Penn. Sarah dons her father’s regalia (crown and sword), and the discussion escalates to a conflict.
The conflict turns into a duel between Sir William and Captain Berkeley. Sir William wins, leaving Angleton shorthanded. He, however, is still under necromantic influence, and might be hearing Robert Hooke’s voice in his mind. Things are heating up at Cahokia.
Chapter 28
Angleton uses necromancy to revive Berkeley, so that gain is immediately washed away. Jacob Hop (who is also a manifestation of the Simon Sword/Peter Plowshare entity from earlier in the book) offers his marriage alliance again to Sarah, but she doesn’t want it. She returns his sword to him and counteroffers that she wants the loyalty of the beastkind. The Heron King accepts this (though Sarah isn’t sure whether he’ll go back on that.)
Angleton uses Berkeley and his dragoons to attack the mountain. Sir William and the beastkind struggle to repel the attack. Angleton and her other enemies all cross swords or spells and the whole thing becomes a chaotic multidirectional brawl. Sarah’s side gets a boost when she recovers her father’s orb, which channels the ley line magic in the Mississippi river, refilling her stores.
Unfortunately her allies are falling to her enemies, and Angleton is rising up on a wave of growing necromantic power.
Chapter 29
One of Sarah’s allies is Lady Cathy Filmer, the high-class prostitute from New Orleans who is secretly in love with Sir William. She’s been indispensable on this journey, and proves so once again as she stabs Angleton with a silver knife while he’s in the middle of a spell. This cuts his magic and allows Sarah’s forces to rally, overwhelming her enemies.
Jacob Hop is also freed from magical possession by the Heron King, and his hearing/speech are restored fully to his own control.
Sarah’s allies send the chevalier back to New Orleans with a new diplomatic arrangement in place for future conflicts.
Angleton, injured but not dead, flees to the north. With the Necromancer Cromwell whispering in his ear, he realizes his next best option is to go after Sarah’s missing siblings, starting with her brother.
Sir William and Cathy confess their love for each other, but he can’t be with her until he finally returns to his family and settles his affairs with them (including, presumably, his marriage.) William also takes Jacob Hop under his wing as a squire of sorts, teaching him how to be a soldier.
Sarah embraces her queenship, puts any discussion of a potential romance with Calvin on hold, and rallies her beastkind troops for a northern expedition, as a future conflict with Penn’s forces becomes more and more certain.
Conclusion
Well, it took us 200,000 words to get here, but here’s our Butlerian quest across a Tolkienesque America laced with Biblical mythos and lore. The plot is slow, the characters are colorful, the backstory is rich and deep, the stakes are multifaceted. This book is challenging, unique, and rewards multiple readings. As I inch closer and closer to reading 2,000 books on Goodreads, I’ve gained a greater appreciation for titles that are hard to forget, and beg you to come back to them. This is one, and I’m pumped at the idea that I’ll get to read it a few more times in my life.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this series. I’m going to take a month or two off from it before jumping in on WITCHY WINTER, book two. Let me know what you think of all this.