Wool (Wool Trilogy Series)
by Hugh Howey
Contents
Chapter 35
Overview
Lukas secretly opens the box of Juliette’s confiscated belongings and turns a covert errand into a private act of mourning. His grief and attachment lead him to steal several keepsakes, including her ID, multi-tool, ring, and a still-working watch, showing how deeply Juliette continues to affect him even after her exile. The chapter also reveals Juliette’s papers and notes, hinting that her possessions may contain knowledge worth preserving rather than destroying.
Summary
Lukas carries the box of Juliette’s confiscated belongings to a quiet pump control room on level thirty-eight, using his IT master key to hide himself behind a server rack. In the dark, he opens the box with excitement but is immediately struck by guilt. Lukas realizes he is handling the remains of Juliette’s life, and he justifies looking through the box by deciding that he would rather honor her possessions than let other people in IT paw through them and scatter them.
At the top of the box, Lukas finds bundles of vacation vouchers and expired meal cards that smell faintly of grease. He then uncovers Juliette’s old silver sheriff’s ID badge and studies her photograph, remembering her as he watched her work before her exile. The memory overwhelms him, and instead of returning the badge, Lukas slips it into his own pocket as a private keepsake.
Lukas next finds Juliette’s silver multi-tool and compares it with his own. After hearing footsteps and laughter outside, he pauses in fear, but when the danger passes he swaps the tools, keeping Juliette’s and leaving his own behind in the box. Continuing deeper, Lukas opens a small antique wooden box and discovers a wedding ring and a delicate watch that is still ticking. Tempted by both their value and their connection to Juliette, Lukas hides the ring and watch in his pocket and fills the wooden box with loose scraps so the theft will be less obvious.
At the bottom of the box, Lukas finds a notepad full of crossed-off to-do lists and then a thick set of papers labeled as a manual for the main generator control room. The notes appear to be Juliette’s work, but when Lukas turns the pages over he realizes the papers were reused from an old printed play, The Tragic Historye of Romeus and Juliette, with Juliette’s name circled repeatedly in the margins. Disturbed by his own actions but unable to stop, Lukas repacks the box, leaves the room, and carries away Juliette’s ID, multi-tool, ring, and working watch pressed against his chest.
Who Appears
- LukasIT worker who secretly examines Juliette’s confiscated possessions, mourns her, and steals several keepsakes.
- JulietteAbsent but central through her belongings, notes, ID, tools, and relics that reveal her lingering impact.