Scarlet Morning

Viola’s pain fades. She climbs out of the Second City and back to the villa, which has been torn apart. Inside, children cry among the dead, everything strewn with gray feathers. Five of their group are dead, including old Gubb. Outside in the town, there is more wreckage and death. They wrap the dead in sailcloth. As the sun sets, Elvey and Viola join the crowds to watch the dead sent out to sea on small boats. Someone else sings a pirate song, and the entire crowd joins.

Elvey begins to cry. She collapses, and Viola struggles to hold her up. A woman near them wraps her arms around Elvey’s shoulders. Another joins, and another. Soon, a crowd of people forms around Elvey and Viola, collectively embracing them and helping to carry the grief. A spot illustration stretches across the bottom of pages 368-69, depicting the comforting embrace of the crowd. Later, Rhosymedre finds Viola. She says that her father broke his leg, and Tal dei Tali is screaming Viola’s name.

Jacquelin speaks with Herman. He claims that he is curious about the Calamary Rose because it is fishing illegally. She scoffs, saying it is a pirate ship, and they both know it. More importantly, she knows his questioning is really about Wilmur. Herman thinks Wilmur is his long-lost son, William. A sailor interrupts their conversation to say that there has been an attack at Wilder’s Green.

Elsewhere on the ship, Wilmur wakes when the sailors scramble into action. He asks Jacquelin what is happening, and she explains that they are leaving the Bleachfields to help with a situation at Wilder’s Green. Wilmur objects, saying that he needs to find Viola first, but Jacquelin orders him to return to his cabin.

A week after the gull attack, Viola and Rhosymedre stay by Hail Meridian, who is asleep and delirious. Elvey brings doctors and healers, but no one can help. Viola fears Hail Meridian will die.

Meanwhile, the Excelsis reaches Wilder’s Green. Wilmur waits on the ship while the sailors go out to town. One of them returns and says they saw Wilmur’s name written all over the buildings. Wilmur rushes off the ship.

Viola has another dream. First, she sees the cloud of gray wings with a figure standing in the center, smirking. Then, she sees Hail Meridian standing on the balcony of a palace, counting down. In the distance, smoke rises from the city. They have both seen the figure standing among the gulls, though Hail Meridian thinks there are two figures rather than one. Hail Meridian continues counting down. Explosions shake the palace. Viola promises to save her.

On the Excelsis, Jacquelin informs Herman that Wilmur has run away. He pretends not to care. She tells him that what he did 15 years ago turned him into a hollow man, but she knows he must still have a soul because he spent all that time hoping he would find his son. Now, she will not let him throw away his last chance to find both William and his own redemption. Herman stares at her, then he runs off the ship and into the city.

Wilmur finds one of the walls with his name written across it. There, he also finds a little girl who says she wrote it. She knows who he is and offers to take him to Viola.

Viola and Elvey are sitting with Hail Meridian when Rhosymedre arrives with Wilmur. Viola screams and rushes to hug him. Elvey is suspicious of Wilmur because he is wearing a Queensmen’s jacket, but Viola explains who he is. Suddenly, Hail Meridian screams and thrashes in her sleep. Viola moves to comfort her.

Herman enters, having followed Wilmur. He asks Wilmur to return to the ship with him, and Wilmur refuses. Herman uses his full title, “Herman Adamastor-Pactolus Laurelton Ravenspurn de Merlen Stables […] head of the Queensmen and the only governor that Dickerson’s Sea has left” (391), and imperiously demands that Wilmur come with him. Viola repeats Herman’s name, recalling the name Prickpost used for Chase. Hail Meridian calls Herman’s name. They lock eyes—she recognizes him and he recognizes her.

Viola explains that “something went wrong inside her” (392) when she heard the gulls screaming. Herman picks Hail Meridian up, announcing that she is the queen of Dickerson’s Sea and he is taking her to Faire Distance for medical treatment. In a full-page illustration, Herman holds Hail Meridian with a design of circles and stars in the background framing him like a halo, implying an image of heroism and devotion. He politely asks Wilmur to come with him and adds that Viola may come as well if she wishes. Viola hesitates, not wishing to leave her new friends, but Elvey tells her to go help the queen. She will be there when Viola returns to visit.

Aboard the Excelsis, Wilmur and Viola trade stories of their adventures. Viola reflects that Wilmur has grown taller and changed. The ship is now headed for Faire Distance while the ship’s doctor treats Hail Meridian. At night, when Viola cannot sleep, she slips into the cabin to visit Hail Meridian. Herman is sitting with her. He promises to tell Viola if she wakes. Viola says that she knows someone who may be a relative of his, Lenora de Merle-en-Sables. Herman furiously says she is lying because his wife, “Lenora Ravenspurn de Merlen Stables” (402), has been dead for 15 years. Viola runs from the cabin.

Viola tells Wilmur about her conversation with Herman. They wonder if Prickpost was wrong about Chase’s identity, if Chase was using a dead woman’s name as an alias, or if Chase really is Lenora and Herman only thought she was dead. Wilmur suggests that she died and came back to life.

Later, Wilmur helps Derringer with his duties. Derringer notes that Herman treats Wilmur differently than everyone else and that they have the same facial features. Wilmur pretends not to understand what Derringer is implying, but he seeks out Herman in his cabin and asks if Herman is his father. Stunned, Herman says he believes so. Wilmur calmly walks away. The illustration at the end of the chapter shows their similar facial features and their equally perturbed expressions.

Viola needs to know who Chase is. She decides to find out by intentionally triggering her visions with Chase’s knife.

In the vision, she stands by the rail of a ship as a woman carrying a baby approaches. The ship explodes. The woman and baby fly into the air. She hears someone say, “I’m Annie, and I won’t be in here long. My parents are coming for me” (413). Pain fills her, and she sees bodies falling. People scream. Viola sees the same cloud of gray wings and a figure at its center. But this time, as the figure steps forward, Viola sees it’s not Vesper Argent, but Chase who pets the gigantic gull on her shoulder.

A second figure appears. This one is Vesper Argent, but Chase greets him as “Annie” (415). Ves announces that the queen has mysteriously fallen ill and abdicated the throne to a long-lost cousin who is, in fact, one of his girls. Elize will be crowned as Queen Hail Meridian. He says the name is “fitting. Scarlet Morning, Evening Gray, and a fleeting, golden afternoon in between” (416). He calls Chase “Fritz” (416) and says that he has an assignment for her on Faire Distance. He needs her to seduce a nobleman so that she can stay and keep an eye on Elize. Chase refuses. She will kill for Ves, but he should have his other girls do the seducing. Ves asks again, and Chase relents, telling him to “take the birds and make [himself] scarce” (417) so that his presence is not tied to the Silver Circle. During their conversation, Chase seems to stare straight at Viola as if she can see her, but does not speak to her.

Wilmur wakes Viola. Furious, he says that Herman is his father, which makes Chase his mother. He dashes out, and Viola chases after him onto the deck. Wilmur is hurt that Chase never told him and preferred to talk to Viola. He says that Viola can have both of his parents if she wants. He climbs over the railing and jumps onto a salt floe. Viola jumps after him. Viola says he is her family, and she is his, and they do not need anyone else. She offers to leave with him if he wants. Suddenly, they hear Hail Meridian screaming and climb back aboard.

Hail Meridian demands to see Viola, who rushes to her side. She then makes a list of items for Herman to gather: a broom, a gravy boat made from nautilus shell, and an ambergris cologne. She yells again, and Herman rushes to comply. He returns with the items. Hail Meridian tells him to pour the cologne into the gravy boat and give her the broom. Herman realizes what she is doing and objects, but she ignores him. She announces: “By the power imbued in me as regina populi maris by my predecessor […] and in the full presence of Parliament, I declare you, henceforth and evermore, no longer Viola of Caveat… but Queen Cry Abilene, rightful ruler of Dickerson’s Sea” (424-25). Herman says it is not official without the crown, and Hail Meridian retorts that they will have to find the crown then.

Horrified, Viola says she cannot be queen. Hail Meridian explains that she had believed there was no hope left for Dickerson’s Sea until she saw Viola. Now she knows that Viola is the way forward. She believes Viola is not from this world. The darkness that is swallowing the world cannot touch her, because the void is in her, and “it isn’t empty. It’s alive. And from it… anything could grow” (426). Hail Meridian commands Herman to keep Viola safe. Then she dies, making Viola the official heir to the throne. The novel ends with the full-page illustration of the impromptu ceremony, showing shock on Herman and Wilmur’s faces, and once again revealing the pale rings in Viola’s eyes (427).