Chapter Fourteen
Contains spoilersOverview
The friends endure a hostile University College ball, where harassment forces an early exit and Robin averts a fight. A Babel-only celebration restores their sense of belonging, crystallized by Ilse’s “ibasho.” At dawn, discovering Eveline Brooke’s grave reveals she died years ago, deepening the mystery surrounding her preserved workspace.
Summary
With exams over, Letty insists the group attend University College’s lavish commemoration ball. Victoire resists, fearing prejudice, so Robin and Ramy work “silver shifts” for entry. Amid spectacle enhanced by Babel match-pairs, Colin Thornhill drunkenly mistakes Victoire for staff and makes a racist slight. Vincy Woolcombe courteously addresses Victoire in French and dances with her, while Ramy refuses to dance with Letty, citing the danger of a brown man drawing attention.
Later, Pendennis and a circle of boys corner Letty and Victoire with lewd, racialized taunts. Letty slaps Pendennis when he reaches toward her; Robin steps between them and defuses the confrontation by appealing to Pendennis’s vanity. Shaken, the friends leave. Ramy blames Letty for pushing them to attend; Victoire pleads for calm. Ramy proposes salvaging the night on Babel’s roof.
At Babel they find a private celebration already underway. Graduate fellows and students dance, engrave silver, and conjure scents and lights. Ilse Dejima teaches Robin the idea of “ibasho,” a place one feels at home. The revels soothe Victoire. In a quiet moment, Letty weeps to Robin about Ramy’s indifference; Robin comforts her without voicing the hard truths.
Toward dawn they wander through St Giles’s cemetery. The mood turns eerie until Letty finds Eveline (Evie) Brooke’s grave, revealing she died in 1834. The discovery reframes Evie’s long-preserved desk and suggests a disturbing, untold history at Babel. As light breaks and summer begins, they leave in silence.
Who Appears
- Robin Swift
Works a silver shift, intervenes to stop Pendennis, comforts Letty, and suspects Evie Brooke’s death hides deeper Babel secrets.
- Ramy Mirza
Avoids dancing with Letty to prevent racial backlash, leads the group away, hosts them at Babel, prays in the cemetery.
- Victoire Desgraves
Reluctant attendee transformed for the ball, harassed, briefly uplifted by dancing and Babel party, discovers Evie Brooke’s grave.
- Letty Price
Insists they attend, dresses Victoire, slapped Pendennis after harassment, later sobs over Ramy’s indifference, finds Evie’s grave.
- Pendennis
Drunk aggressor who harasses Letty and Victoire; confronted and defused by Robin before a fight breaks out.
- Vincy Woolcombe
Greets Victoire in French and dances with her, later among the group surrounding the women.
- Colin Thornhill
Drunkenly mistakes Victoire for staff and makes a racist remark before staggering off.
- Vimal Srinivasan
Welcomes them to the Babel party, dancing and joking as silver workings enchant the room.
- Ilse Dejima
Explains “ibasho,” a place one feels at home, anchoring the night’s sense of belonging.
- Minna
German student dancing with Vimal; joins the lively Babel celebration.
- Matthew Houndslow
Postgraduate fellow engraving silver that conjures floating lights at the party.
- Eveline (Evie) Brooke
Revealed via her grave to have died in 1834; her preserved desk now ominous.