The Book Eaters

Devon adjusts to her new home with Matley. He gives her fairy tales to eat that encourage obedience. Jarrow comes to invite her to play video games with him again. As they visit and play, he tells her about his lost sister, Victoria, or “Vic.” Devon and Jarrow become close friends. Soon, Devon discovers that she’s pregnant. A human doctor comes, and Devon is fascinated by his ability to write. Matley wants to know the baby’s gender but is unwilling to go to a human hospital for tests. Devon reminds herself that she only needs to get through one more birth to see Salem.

Devon manages her pregnancy and spends more time with Jarrow. They have insightful conversations, and Devon is shocked that someone finally values her opinion. Jarrow reveals that he is asexual, and Devon struggles to understand with her limited knowledge. She admits that she thinks she’s a lesbian. Jarrow becomes enraged at the unfairness of society’s expectations for Devon, and they get into an argument. He brings her to another room and shows her his collection of maps. Devon is shocked at how big the world is. He encourages her to eat the maps to absorb the information. Jarrow explains that he’s planning to run away across the Irish border and asks Devon to go with him. She reminds him that she needs to remain in England for her daughter. Jarrow becomes exasperated and explains that she’s being manipulated. He doesn’t believe that she’ll ever see her daughter again.

Devon wakes from a nightmare and finds a news report on TV of the train attack. Hester is still struggling with trusting Devon but slowly reveals their destination: a manor house in a small Scottish town. Devon covertly calls Ramsey and reports their location. She reflects on his stubbornness and strength. Devon calls another mysterious contact: Jarrow. They arrange for him to pick her up at the Ravenscar house the next day after Ramsey launches his attack. Jarrow asks her to meet him nearby. Later, Hester and Devon buy a used car and are soon followed by a knight. Devon runs him over, making a mental note to blame Hester to Ramsey.

Devon gives birth to her second child in Jarrow’s games room. She’s determined not to love this new child, but it’s no use; she loves him “with bitterness, […] with resignation” (160). The hovering aunts quickly see that Devon’s son has the tongue of a mind eater, and Matley disowns him. When Devon snaps at him, he tries to choke her to death. Jarrow intervenes, and the men begin fighting. 

Devon wakes up in her own bed with a damaged throat, unable to speak. Jarrow brings her a book on Morse code so that they can learn to communicate by sound. He gives her a thimble so that she can tap clearly. Devon asks Jarrow to run away with her and her new son, but Jarrow reveals that he’s being sent away as punishment for his intervention. He leaves her his Game Boy as a parting gift.

Devon and Hester approach Scotland. Cai asks if he’ll have friends when he’s medicated with Redemption, and Devon considers that she’s never really had friends of her own. She hopes to build a friendship with Hester. They arrive at the Ravenscar home, and a human man comes to greet them. Devon is struck with recognition. He introduces himself as Mani, and Devon realizes that he’s the reporter she met in her childhood. He alludes to a secret in Hester’s family, and they go to greet Hester’s brother, Killock. When they arrive in the dining room, the Ravenscar family is eating and revealing their long tongues. Devon realizes that the entire family is made up of mind eaters. Killock meets Cai and explains that they are a family of “saints.” Killock wants to know how Matley died. Devon agrees to tell him if Cai is sent away so that he can’t hear.

Devon manages the trauma of her attack. Matley summons her, and she sees that he has turned Jarrow’s games room into a surveillance room filled with TV screens. He informs her that she is now a prisoner in his home and that the baby must stay with her until he’s old enough to join the dragons. Before Devon leaves, he crushes her thimble. For the next two years, Devon nurses Cai and is constantly watched by hired guards. When Cai turns two, he begins to display hunger for her. Although Devon fears him, she’s unable to abandon him. One day, a shipment of Redemption is delayed, and Cai behaves erratically. Matley arrives to tell them that the Ravenscar family has fallen apart and that there won’t be any more Redemption production. As a result, all the dragons including Cai need to be killed. Matley and his men try to take Devon away, but she fights them, biting one of them in the neck. Cai begins to feed on Matley, ultimately draining his brain.