The Blackthorn Key

Christopher wants to go see Isaac right away but knows he needs to wait for the Guild members. Out the window, he sees a large apprentice sitting on a bench who also seems familiar to him. Oswyn and Sir Edward enter the courtyard, and Christopher hears snippets of their conversation, which is about Christopher and the Cult, as well as Stubb and his apprentice. They leave the Guild Hall, confusing Christopher because the apprentice was supposed to let them know that he is waiting. He goes to follow them only to find that the door is locked. 

Watching the large apprentice toss dice, Christopher recognizes him from outside the apothecary shop the previous day. He realizes that the apprentice who brought him to the office was also there. Now, they have trapped him here. Valentine Grey passes through the courtyard, asking the apprentice for Sir Edward, then going after him. 

Wat approaches the larger apprentice, whom Christopher thinks of as "the Elephant" (231). The Elephant tells Wat that Christopher is there and that Martin, the other apprentice, took him upstairs. Wat is angry that the masters could have found him. The three apprentices decide to send the doorman away and then "get rid of" (253) Christopher while they make sure the Hall is empty, as their master told them to do.

Christopher berates himself for not realizing that the apprentices meant him harm. He thinks about sneaking out of the window, but the climb is too high. He cannot open the door. He looks for something to use to force it open and finds a lantern, realizing that he can light it using the materials in his sash. He considers making gunpowder before rediscovering the oil of vitriol, which can eat through almost any material. Christopher takes a sketch from the wall and folds the paper, puts the oil on it and shoves it into the lock. It goes slowly, then fizzles out. Christopher uses a silver spoon from his sash to drip the oil in instead. Finally, the latch breaks.

However, Martin is waiting for Christopher in the hallway. He pushes Christopher into the desk, hurting his ribs, and punches him. Christopher pulls a vial out of his sash and pushes it into Martin's face, cutting him and stopping him from more violence. Christopher throws the lantern, confusing Martin, and runs. Down the hallway, he finds the Elephant approaching him with rope in his hand. Christopher runs in the opposite direction.

As Christopher doubles back, Martin comes out of Oswyn's office. With both boys tailing him, Christopher throws the lantern behind him, scattering oil and making Martin trip. All of the doors Christopher finds are locked, so he goes downstairs. There, Wat is waiting for him at the front door and starts screaming to the others. With no other exit, Christopher goes down into the laboratory where he took his apprentice exam. There, he knows the three chambers: a central one with general materials, a distillery for alcohol, and ovens to cook ingredients. However, there are no windows through which he can escape. Christopher hopes someone is in the cooking room and goes there.

Wat calls out Christopher's location to the others. Scared they will discover the decoded message, Christopher burns it. However, he is unable to bring himself to burn the ledger page with Master Benedict's handwriting on it. He looks for a weapon, then thinks better of it and looks for a distraction. He starts with sugar and saltpeter, combining them as the other boys enter the room and using a coal to light them on fire, keeping them in the general room while he stays in the cooking room. His mixture explodes, creating smoke. Christopher combines natron and vinegar, which starts to fizz, into a jug. 

In the meantime, the Elephant tries to cajole him to come out. Christopher takes pot with goo in it from the fire and throws it at him, still holding the jug and the empty pot. He stops the Elephant but has to hit Martin with the pot. Christopher runs out into the courtyard, where he throws the jug near Wat. It explodes, injuring Wat. Christopher runs out of the Hall into the street. 

Christopher runs back to the apothecary's shop, having nowhere else to go. There, he will stock up on ingredients and try to have a word with Tom. When he passes Tom's house, he sees Tom with Lord Ashcombe. Christopher watches from afar, realizing that Lord Ashcombe is holding the puzzle cube and is asking Tom about it. Lord Ashcombe twists Tom's hair, and Tom's parents confront him. Christopher knows that he will take responsibility for the theft of the cube because he would never let Tom be sentenced to death as a thief in his place.

Tom's little sister Molly finds Christopher and insists that he go with her, on Tom's orders. Seeing that Lord Ashcombe is not about to punish Tom, Christopher goes with her. They go through a network of alleys to what she calls "the Black House" (257). This is a home that was ravaged by a fire the year before, nearly collapsing. There, Cecily waits for them with Dr. Parrett, who welcomes Christopher.

Christopher goes inside the burned-out house. Dr. Parrett warns them not to disturb his son James, who actually died in the fire. He takes the children to James’ room, where he leaves them. Christopher asks Cecily how they knew where to find him, and she explains that Tom sent all of his sisters out to look for him. 

Christopher reviews his injuries. He has hurt his back, scraped his shoulder, and cut his finger. With Cecily's help, he treats his cut with items from his sash so that it will not become infected ("turn the humors of the body sour and poisonous" (261)). 

That evening, Tom comes and congratulates his sisters, then sends them home. Christopher is worried about the puzzle cube, but Tom explains that Lord Ashcombe wasn't thinking about it and gives it to him. He has also brought sticky buns. Christopher explains his discoveries as he eats the buns. Tom has worked out an escape plan, with Christopher evading the King's Men and going down to the docks to get out of the city; he has brought Christopher money from his father's strongbox. 

Christopher refuses, explaining that he saw Valentine Grey, who may be the master of Martin and the Elephant, and wants to tell Lord Ashcombe. Tom counters this, letting him know that Lord Ashcombe thinks Christopher is responsible for Master Benedict's death because he hit Christopher. Christopher realizes that Lady Brent, who witnessed Master Benedict hitting him before his death, must have talked to Lord Ashcombe. Christopher wants to find Master Hugh to refute this, but Tom tells him that Hugh is dead. Lord Ashcombe told Tom that the body in the garden on Oak Apple Day was Hugh's. However, he is unsure if it was the Cult, because Hugh was buried in hallowed ground. 

Tom tells Christopher that Stubb and his apprentice are also dead. This confuses Christopher, because he believes they were also in the Cult. He wonders if Wat did it, perhaps out of anger or because somebody else ordered him to. Tom again tries to convince Christopher to leave the city, but Christopher has nowhere to go and no money to buy a new apprenticeship. Instead, he says, he will go to Isaac. Tom argues that there will be a reward for capturing Christopher, who is no longer safe on the streets. Christopher has a plan and tries to send Tom home to stay out of trouble, but Tom insists he will come with Christopher the next day.