I'm The King of the Castle - Chapter
Summaries
Chapter One
The novel begins on a deathly note. Three months before the main events
of the story, the grandmother of the Hooper household dies. Her son
Joseph then refuses to live at Warings, the family home, until he owns it,
i.e. until his father dies and he inherits it. This tells the reader knows
immediately that the relationship between Joseph and his father is poor.
Soon afterwards it becomes clear that the relationship he has with his own
son is no better. Communication between Joseph and Edmund Hooper is
limited and a cause of some concern to Joseph.
Edmund's mother died six years previously. This has not made him
sensitive to death, and on seeing his dying grandfather he remarks coldly,
'All he looks like is one of those dead old moths'. The lack of feminine
influence, coupled with their move to a house in the country (not to mention
Joseph's own loneliness) has prompted his father to advertise for an
'informal' housekeeper.
Joseph has high hopes that living at Warings will improve his standing in
society and make him feel like a more effective and successful person. The
house is in the country and is large and imposing. The exterior is somewhat
wild and intimidating with its large rhododendron bushes and yew trees.
Inside it is dark and gloomy. The overall impression of the house is that it is
a relic of the past, a cold and unlived-in place, which lacks any homely
qualities. At the back of the house is the Red Room, which houses a
collection of moths amassed by the newly departed grandfather. Edmund is
fascinated by them and the chapter ends with him making a secret night
time visit to the Red Room. He opens the case which houses the biggest
one, the Death's Head Hawk Moth, but as soon as he touches it, it
disintegrates leaving nothing but dry dust.
Chapter Two
The Kingshaws arrive at Warings. Helena Kingshaw has been appointed as
housekeeper and she and her ten-year-old son, Charles, are to live with the
Hoopers. Joseph Hooper hopes that this will be advantageous to both him
and Edmund. He worries about his son's brooding nature and his own
inability to affect him. He assumes that having another boy of his own age
around in the long summer holiday will improve life for Edmund. It is also
clear that he quite fancies the idea of having some female company and he
has chosen Mrs Kingshaw for more than her domestic abilities.
Hooper is unhappy about the new arrivals. He enjoys the privacy of his life
at Warings and resents the idea of another boy sharing his space. The first
thing he does when Kingshaw arrives is to secretly slip him a note that
reads, 'I DIDN'T WANT YOU TO COME'. Kingshaw is equally unhappy
about the situation. We learn that his father is dead and he and his mother
have no home of their own. Mrs Kingshaw sees this as a new start.
The boys get off to a bad start. Hooper taunts Kingshaw for his family's lack
of status, and mocks Kingshaw's stories about his father being a war hero.
Kingshaw feels frustrated and paralysed by Hooper's verbal assaults.
Hooper wants to establish his superior status as 'master' of the land and he
attacks Kingshaw physically, giving him a nosebleed. Despite the adults'
efforts to engineer a friendship between the boys, the relationship does not
improve. Kingshaw sees chances to take revenge and assert himself with
Hooper, but does not take them. Hooper continues to boss him around at
every opportunity.
Chapter Three
Desperate to escape from the daily torments of living with Hooper,
Kingshaw walks into the countryside. However, he is clearly not used to the
great outdoors and has difficulties walking on the uneven terrain, frequently
stumbling and losing his balance. When he is attacked by a crow he is
terrified and blindly runs back towards Warings. Hooper has witnessed the
attack from a window in the house and taunts Kingshaw about it on his
return. He dares him to return to Hang Woods and Kingshaw is resigned to
doing this, despite his fear.
That night, Kingshaw wakes to find that Hooper has put a stuffed crow on
his bed. He is senseless with fear but manages to lie there quietly until the
morning so as not to give Hooper the satisfaction of knowing his trick
worked. The crow is gone when he comes back from the bathroom in the
morning. Nothing is ever said about the incident.
Hooper actually feels impressed that Kingshaw kept his cool, but becomes
even more determined to find ways to get to him. His next move is to take
him to the Red Room. Kingshaw finds the moths and smell of preservatives
oppressive and is reluctant to enter. When he finally does go in, Hooper
runs out and locks the door. Kingshaw tries to escape via the windows but
they are locked so he can't get out; he is on the edge of panic. He finally
escapes when the adults find him. He makes excuses and runs away
quickly without telling on Hooper. He is violently sick in the bathroom.
Despite the signs, the adults don't notice that anything is wrong and think
the boys are becoming friends.
At this stage Kingshaw is finding life at Warings intolerable. He longs for his
school, where he is happy and comfortable.
Chapter Four
Hooper goes on a daytrip to London with his father. Joseph attempts to
deliver a stern speech, and is insistent that Hooper should make more
effort to befriend Kingshaw. His son listens silently but continues to plan
ways to inflict further terrors.
Meanwhile back at Warings, Kingshaw finds a room on the top floor to hide
away in. He likes the room because it doesn't seem to belong to anyone.
Amazingly, he manages to keep his hideaway secret for the next few days
and begins to stash a collection of objects there. Eventually and inevitably,
Hooper discovers his haven and sees that he is planning to run away. This
delights him, as it demonstrates just how deeply he is affecting the other
boy. Kingshaw now feels resigned to go. If he stays he will either have to
endure Hooper's torments or defend himself, and he doesn't feel able to do
either.
As this relationship worsens, Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw are becoming
more and more friendly. They are oblivious to the tensions between their
sons, and, quite frankly, seem to only see what they want to see. They
congratulate themselves on how well the situation is working out for
everyone.
Chapter Five
The adults are becoming even closer to each other. Joseph Hooper is
beginning to treat Helena Kingshaw in a friendly manner, even inviting her
into his sitting room. This pleases her. They begin to plan a cocktail party
and decide to go to London to shop for it.
Kingshaw knows that this is his chance. He has a day to prepare the things
he needs. The next morning, he wakes up early and leaves as soon as it is
light. He heads down the copse in the direction of Hang Woods. As he
hurries away from the house he begins to feel better. He starts to regain his
confidence now he feels free of the torments inflicted upon him by Hooper.
It is a misty morning and Kingshaw enjoys the feeling of isolation he gets.
Even so, he is not completely free of worry. He doesn't want Hooper to see
him running away, and he notices he has a wart on his hand, which he
thinks may have been wished on him by a boy at school. He arrives at
Hang Woods only to find he has to negotiate a fence and a muddy ditch to
get in. The woods themselves look dark and spooky. Nevertheless, he
steels himself and jumps into the darkness with his eyes closed.
Chapter Six
Once he is actually inside the woods, Kingshaw looks around and
evaluates his environment: what he sees, hears, and smells. The author
gives detailed descriptions of Kingshaw's surroundings at this point. He
finds that it is much more pleasant than he expected, and he likes it. He
walks into the wood, which is dense and overgrown. It is in complete
contrast to the ordered, lifeless environment at Warings.
As Kingshaw reaches a dense, dark area he hears a sound and his mood
changes in an instant. Notice that at this point atmosphere of the
surroundings seems to change. It becomes quiet, dark and still, reflecting
the change of mood. At this point Hooper appears.
Kingshaw feels defeated and powerless. Although he tries to persuade
Hooper to let him go on alone, he is resigned to his presence immediately.
Hooper instantly launches into an attack, saying that Kingshaw and his
mother are simply servants to the Hoopers. Kingshaw can't do anything but
eventually walks away into the woods, forcing Hooper to follow.
The sound of an animal stops both boys in their tracks. When Kingshaw
moves forward he is amazed by the sight of a deer. It runs away before
Hooper sees it. When he discovers Hooper has never seen a deer before,
Kingshaw is surprised and recognises that this makes him feel more
powerful than his tormenter. This feeling is short lived though, as Hooper
pushes past him and assumes the position of leader. Kingshaw realises
that this has put him in a subservient position, although he does nothing to
challenge this. Hooper is blindly trying to follow the deer and the two boys
continue to argue about what they should be doing. Eventually they realise
that they are lost and each blames the other. The chapter closes to the
sound of a roll of thunder.
Chapter Seven
Much to Kingshaw's surprise, the approaching storm reduces Hooper to an
instant state of panic which he is powerless to control. At this point
Kingshaw has the chance to take revenge on the boy who has taken so
much pleasure in mocking his fears, yet he does not take it. Instead he
feels sympathy for Hooper and is embarrassed to have to witness such a
character transformation. He erects a makeshift shelter and comforts
Hooper as best as he can. He thinks that now Hooper's fears have been
exposed, their relationship will be different.
When the storm subsides it is obvious that nothing has changed. Hooper
instantly assumes his old position of power, and Kingshaw realises that this
will never change. Hooper leads the way to the stream despite the fact that
the idea to go there for a drink was Kingshaw's.
The discovery of a dead rabbit reveals the differences between the two
boy's attitudes to death. Kingshaw believes in life after death and that the
body should be respected. Hooper dismisses this as stupid, saying that
dead things, whether human or animal, have no significance. Kingshaw
notices that the rabbit's ear is decaying and feels repulsed by it, throwing it
to the ground.
They follow the stream because Hooper thinks it will lead them out of the
woods. When they find a pool in a clearing Hooper instantly forgets that
they are looking for a way out and jumps into the water. Kingshaw is afraid
of joining him because he has always been afraid of drowning at swimming
pools he has visited in the past. Once he forces himself to get in he finds
that he loves it, and for a short while the boys play together as equals.
After the swim Kingshaw sets about building a fire, as they are cold and
hungry. He feels that he is the responsible one and that Hooper is not
taking their situation seriously. Once again Hooper begins to panic (this
time about being lost) and Kingshaw is forced to take the lead. He insists
on leaving Hooper alone while he goes to find a way out. He will tie a ball of
string to a tree and unravel it as he walks so he can find his way back. He
instructs Hooper to catch a fish while he is gone.
Once alone, Kingshaw begins to feel more positive. He thinks he is much
better at coping with crises than Hooper. He is tempted to leave Hooper
and go on alone, but is prevented from doing so by a sense of
responsibility towards him. He doesn't believe Hooper could cope without
him. When he returns to the clearing he finds Hooper face down in the
water with blood pouring from his head. He has a difficult struggle to pull
him out and revive him. Again, Kingshaw is impressed with his own ability
to deal with this situation. Hooper, however, shows no gratitude. Despite
his terror that Kingshaw will leave him, he continues to treat him in the
same way, ordering him not to go.
Chapter Eight
It is getting dark and they are still hungry. Kingshaw takes the initiative, and
catches a fish. He can't bring himself to kill it and has to wait for it to die.
Hooper, of course, mocks him for this sensitivity. When the fish is cooked it
tastes disgusting and they are forced to eat most of the food they have
brought with them. Once again Hooper blames Kingshaw and calls him
useless, even though Kingshaw is proving himself to be the more
resourceful of the boys.
Hooper begins to talk about Kingshaw's mother. He mocks her status as a
woman, and argues that fathers are far more important. Then he gets more
personal, saying that that she has only come to Warings to try to get his
father to marry her so she will have money and a house. He argues that all
women have to do this if they haven't got a husband. Although Kingshaw
defends his mother, he is inwardly shocked and feels that he has been
stupid not to notice this going on before. He feels a wave of hatred towards
her which he superstitiously thinks will cause something bad to happen to
her.
These revelations about his mother leave Kingshaw feeling troubled and
unable to sleep, while Hooper rests peacefully. Kingshaw wants to hide
himself safely away from the world and feels an overwhelming sense of
isolation. Eventually he falls asleep, but is woken by Hooper, who is having
a bad dream and repeatedly calling for his mother. At this point Kingshaw
feels angry with Hooper and he wakes him quite violently. Hooper is feeling
scared and unwell and begins to whine and nag. Kingshaw is matter of fact
in his responses but is beginning to find the responsibility of looking after
his oppressor onerous. When Hooper continues to pressure him, he snaps
and shouts at Hooper, shocking him into silence. He walks off into the
woods.
After a few minutes, Kingshaw calms down. He is shocked at the violence
of his own feelings, and notes that this is the first time he has ever
understood how it feels to hate someone. He feels guilty and is compelled
to go back to Hooper and apologise, even though he knows this means he
will lose any respect he might have just earned from Hooper. This shows
that Kingshaw acts according to moral principles, whereas, Hooper only
recognises strength and power.
Chapter Nine
Dawn comes and the two boys lie in the sunlit tranquillity of morning. The
birds are singing and the woods are benign once more. Kingshaw still
assumes responsibility for the practical matters, collecting sticks to keep
the fire going. He decides to go for a swim but tells Hooper he should not
risk it, having been so ill. Hooper insists he didn't want to anyway and that
he had made his own plans, but he is unable to muster any authority into
his voice.
Both boys are content in their activities. Hooper is watching a thrush while
Kingshaw relaxes luxuriously in the pool. Kingshaw is at peace for the first
time in the novel. He finds the certainty of life in the woods reassuring and
is transfixed by the beauty of his surroundings. When they hear the sounds
of dogs and people approaching he is disappointed. He doesn't want to go
back to the situation he was running away from. However, he reflects that
things have definitely changed in the woods and he supposes that life at
Warings will be different now.
Chapter Ten
Back at Warings, Hooper acts instantly to regain his power by accusing
Kingshaw of pushing him in the water. Kingshaw is incensed and his
reaction only serves to confirm what Hooper says. Both of the adults
believe Hooper, although it is important to note that it is mainly Mrs
Kingshaw who deals with the incident and it is emphasised that she is keen
not to favour her own son. Kingshaw becomes abusive and violent. He has
never behaved like this before and he is as shocked as his mother at his
reaction. It has become clear to him that other things have changed while
he and Hooper were in the woods, as the adults seem to be united.
Kingshaw feels he is on the outside, and that he always has been without
knowing it. He is frustrated, isolated and emotionally drained. There doesn't
seem to be any point in explaining what really happened. He tries to attack
Hooper, giving further credence to Hooper's story. He leaves the room in
disgrace, closing the door on Hooper and the two adults.
That evening his mother comes to his room to talk to him. She doesn't
seem that interested in what he has to say, and instead she urges him to
change his behaviour and be grateful for the kindness Mr Hooper has
shown them both. Kingshaw is unable to explain why he cannot be friends
with Hooper. Mrs Kingshaw lets it slip that she has some important news
but says she will tell him the next day. Kingshaw realises that she is going
to marry Hooper's father and condemn him to live with his enemy. He
wants to return to the 'terrifying and safe' wood away from people, who
have only let him down.
Chapter Eleven
At the breakfast table, Mr Hooper announces that Kingshaw will be going to
the same school as Hooper from now on. Kingshaw is horrified. Not only
did he love his old school, but now he has no escape from Hooper. He runs
away from Warings and hides in a shed in some nearby allotments where
he thinks he will be safe. Straightaway the door bangs closed and is locked
from the outside. Kingshaw is trapped in the shed and left to surmise that
Hooper must have locked him in. He doesn't know this for sure though, as
his captor was silent, and pretty soon his imagination gets to work and he
dreams up all sorts of gruesome things that could happen, like the things
he has read about in the newspapers in the school library. He thinks about
going to school with Hooper and is naturally fearful about what this might
mean. He is so afraid that he vomits on the floor of the shed.
Eventually, Kingshaw falls asleep. He has a terrible nightmare about a
Punch and Judy show but he is woken by a scratching noise outside. This
transpires to be Hooper, who begins to taunt him mercilessly. He tells
Kingshaw that he is going to make his life at school a misery and there will
be nothing he can do about it. He then tries to frighten Kingshaw by playing
on things he knows he is scared of. Kingshaw bravely resolves not to give
into this, and that he will not under any circumstances ask Hooper to
release him from the shed. Hooper continues to verbally terrorise him, until
finally he can't take anymore and breaks down in tears. At this point he
realises Hooper has gone again, leaving him with his fears and no idea of
how long he is likely to be in the shed.
Some time elapses before Hooper returns and swings open the shed door.
He tells Kingshaw he is late for lunch and had better hurry up. Back at the
house Hooper tells Mrs Kingshaw they have been playing bandits. She
doesn't notice how despondent her son is as he walks back to the house.
In this chapter, Kingshaw is beginning to feel defeated. He had hoped that
things would be different after the experiences in the woods, but realises he
will never be in that position again. Hooper's persecution of him has
become systematic and he doesn't know how to fight it (or even seem to be
thinking about overcoming it).
Chapter Twelve
Mr Hooper decides they should have a day out at Leydell Castle. Mrs
Kingshaw is grateful to him for this and feels special. Both of the adults are
acting as if they are one big happy family but are too wrapped up in
themselves to pay much attention to what the boys are doing.
Kingshaw is a confident climber and soon begins to scale the castle walls.
The sense of freedom this gives him is exhilarating. He sees Hooper down
on the ground and knows that here, as in the woods, he is more adaptable
and has the upper hand. He shouts out that he is 'King of the Castle' but
even as he says it he knows that this is only true for as long as they stay
here. He can see Hooper is afraid of climbing up, so dares him to try it.
Hooper does, but soon ends up stuck on a ledge and too scared to move.
Kingshaw nimbly climbs down to him and tells him to stop being stupid and
climb down. Hooper wants him to go first so he can hold onto him, but this
is impossible as the ledge is too narrow for Kingshaw to pass. Kingshaw
tries to persuade Hooper to listen to his instructions, which will tell him how
to get down. He recognises that once again he is in a position of power,
and he could even kill Hooper at this moment. Once again, his morality
guides him, and he decides he must over come his hatred of Hooper and
help him off the ledge. As he reaches out a hand to help him, Hooper loses
his balance and falls. It is obvious that Kingshaw will be blamed for this too.
Chapter Thirteen
In the aftermath of Hooper's fall nobody pays any attention to Kingshaw.
He stays on the wall in a dreamlike state, watching as Hooper is taken
away on a stretcher. He believes Hooper is dead and can't stop thinking
about a reading from a school assembly: 'Whereupon the soul flew from
the body'. The boy who read this out had also bullied Kingshaw, although
to a lesser extent than Hooper.
On the way home, Kingshaw tries to explain to his mother that Hooper fell.
She refuses to talk about it, but back at the house she makes him promise
to never do anything so dangerous again. Kingshaw is frightened by the
tone of her request, which is delivered with a sense of urgent desperation.
While the adults are at the hospital, Kingshaw is left alone with Mrs Boland.
They watch TV and Kingshaw is frightened by a sinister scene in which a
blind man is being followed. He goes to the kitchen but can still hear the
sound of screaming on the TV. Mrs Boland sends him to bed. Lying in bed
he is comforted by the realisation that he might not have to change schools
after all, now Hooper is dead.
He goes to sleep and has another vivid nightmare. On waking he is
compelled to go and seek comfort from his mother but she is not in her
room. He stumbles out to the dark landing, crying uncontrollably, until he is
swept up in Mr Hooper's arms and taken to the sitting room. When he says
that he thinks Hooper is dead, the adults think this is the cause of his upset
and they reassure him that Hooper is in fact alive. Mr Hooper carries him
back to bed and he is ashamed to find himself deeply comforted by having
a man's protection. He lies in bed mulling over the fact that Hooper isn't
dead after all, and finds that he cannot sleep.
Chapter Fourteen
Hooper has been in hospital with a broken leg for a week. Mr Hooper is in
London on business, so Mrs Kingshaw has been visiting Hooper in hospital
every day. Hooper doesn't like Mrs Kingshaw but is spitefully pleased at the
thought that he is stealing her from Kingshaw. Meanwhile Kingshaw enjoys
being by himself and occupies his time by making models and doing
puzzles.
The chapter opens with Mrs Kingshaw trying to get her son to talk about
Hooper, still insisting that the boys are friends. Even though Kingshaw
states quite clearly that he is no friend of Hooper's, she asks him to buy
him a present. He refuses and tells her he wished Hooper had died.
Kingshaw hates the way his mother has behaved since Hooper's fall. He
thinks she has been fussing around Mr Hooper and doesn't think this is
right. He is also ashamed of himself because he allowed Mr Hooper to
comfort him on the night of the accident. He thinks this is a sign of
weakness and that he should have been able to handle his feelings by
himself. He remembers a boy at school, called Fenwick, who was fiercely
independent after hurting himself badly. Kingshaw wants to be like
Fenwick.
One day Kingshaw wanders into the village church. He starts to pray for
forgiveness for the bad thoughts he has had about Hooper. As if from
nowhere a boy appears and starts to talk to him in an easy manner. He
knows who Kingshaw is and where he lives, even though Kingshaw knows
absolutely nothing about him. They play a game and the boy - Fielding
invites Kingshaw to his farm, where they watch a calf being born.
Everything at the farm is in contrast to Warings. It is full of life and
happiness. Fielding is kind and straightforward. His mother is simple and
doesn't wear fancy clothes and jewellery, like Mrs Kingshaw.
Kingshaw is invited to stay for dinner so goes back to Warings to ask
permission. His mother has returned from the hospital and informs him that
Hooper will be coming home the next day. When Kingshaw explains to
Fielding about Hooper, he doesn't understand the nature of the problem,
having never experienced such a complex situation. He advises Kingshaw
to stand up for himself. Kingshaw wants to keep Fielding as his own friend
and is happy and confident in his company. He is delighted when Hooper
does not come home the next day after all as he can spend more time with
his new friend. This is a period of welcome respite for Kingshaw.
Chapter Fifteen
Hooper returns from hospital and the persecution resumes. Mrs Kingshaw
insists that her son should stay in and keep his 'friend' company. It doesn't
matter how many times Kingshaw reiterates his feelings about Hooper - the
adults have decided to ignore this kind of behaviour. Kingshaw appears to
be in the wrong constantly, while Hooper gets away with his horrible
behaviour.
Tired of being with Hooper, Kingshaw decides to visit Fielding under the
pretence of going to the shop for an ice cream. However, his mother insists
that he comes straight back and he knows he is doomed to do as she says.
As he eats his ice cream, the Fieldings' Land Rover pulls up full of cows
going to market. One of them is the calf Kingshaw saw being born and he
is horrified to learn that it is going to be sold for veal. He has to turn down
the invitation to accompany them. Although part of him is relieved not to
have to experience the unknown world of the market, he regrets that he
cannot spend time with Fielding anymore. When he gets back to Warings,
Hooper reveals that he knows all about Fielding and Kingshaw feels a
further sense of loss.
Mr Hooper takes Kingshaw to London to get a new school uniform.
Kingshaw feels this is the end of everything for him. He is suspicious of Mr
Hooper's motives for paying for his uniform and school fees, which has
provided further ammunition for Hooper's taunts. Mr Hooper believes he
and Kingshaw are getting on well and notes how everything has improved
for him since Mrs Kingshaw arrived. He is absorbed in thoughts about her
and the effect she has had on him, noting the different ways in which he
has changed, becoming more impetuous and confident, even in relation to
his own son.
When they get back to Warings, Kingshaw finds that his mother has given
Hooper the model he made while Hooper was in hospital. He is furious
about this and his apparently petulant display is brought to a halt when Mr
Hooper slaps him in the face and his mother backs him up. He tries to get
the model back from Hooper, who throws it against the wall. Only Kingshaw
is chastised. He is becoming increasingly more isolated and hopeless.
Chapter Sixteen
The chapter begins with a telephone call between Mrs Kingshaw and her
old friend Enid. She discusses her new life at Warings, thinking about how
safe she has felt since her arrival - in contrast to her life before. She hints
that they may live elsewhere in the future. The conversation is overheard
by both Kingshaw and Mr Hooper, both of whom are puzzled by it. Mr
Hooper reflects on his sexual nature and how his first marriage was lacking
in this respect. He is confused and excited by the promise of a sexual
relationship with Mrs Kingshaw. Kingshaw is also confused and worries
that they might start moving around again as they did in the past. He
remembers a period of living in a private hotel and how this was a source of
shame for him. He was also frightened of an old lady called Miss Mellitt,
who also lived there.
The first person to tell Kingshaw of the forthcoming marriage between the
adults is, of course, Hooper, who loves to use knowledge as power.
However, Kingshaw is less angry about it than Hooper himself, who doesn't
like the idea of sharing the house and being on an equal footing with
Kingshaw. Kingshaw is still disturbed by the thought of spending the rest of
his life with Hooper and that night he cries.
The whole 'family' go on a visit to the circus, despite the fact the Mrs
Kingshaw is aware that Kingshaw is frightened by it. He hates the whole
performance which reminds him of so many frightening experiences in his
past. After the show, he is sick.
It transpires that the trip to the circus was a prelude to the big
announcement that Mr Hooper and Mrs Kingshaw are to be married. The
date is set for September 10th and after the service they will drive the boys
to their school; an act which they think will be comforting to Kingshaw.
Things go further wrong for Kingshaw when his mother visits the Fielding
household and invites Fielding for lunch. In his mind the friendship has
already been contaminated and Kingshaw is anxious but powerless to stop
his friend from coming to Warings. When the day comes Kingshaw is
resigned to losing his friend to Hooper. Fielding is such a simple and
honest boy that he doesn't understand the relationship between Kingshaw
and Hooper. He can see something is wrong, but doesn't know what to do
about it. Hooper tries to work out ways of getting at Fielding but his open
and honest nature is impossible to manipulate so he has to satisfy himself
with snide comments about Kingshaw. Fielding senses the battle between
the two boys and tries to please both of them. He suggests visiting his farm
to look at their new tractor. Kingshaw is defeated. Once Hooper goes to the
farm, then Fielding is no longer just his friend and he can't share him with
Hooper. He does not fight, but simply stays behind, much to Fielding's
bewilderment. Everything Kingshaw valued has been lost to Hooper. He
takes Hooper's list of battle regiments, rips them to pieces and sets fire to
them.
Chapter Seventeen
It is September 9th and preparations for the wedding and start of school
are complete. Hooper has still not said anything about Kingshaw's
destruction of his battle sheets. Somehow, Kingshaw finds this more
ominous than anything Hooper might actually do. The anticipation of attack
is unbearable and Kingshaw knows he will have no protection at school.
That night Hooper leaves him a threatening note which brings on still more
nightmares.
Kingshaw wakes at dawn with an idea. He goes to Hang Woods, just as he
did earlier that summer. In the woods he feels peaceful again. He goes to
the stream and after only a moment's hesitation, wades in and drowns
himself.
When they discover he is missing, Hooper guesses where to find him. At
the stream he sees Kingshaw's dead body and is overcome with triumph at
what he has driven him to do. Ironically, Mrs Kingshaw thinks he is upset
and the novel closes with her comforting the bully, who drove her son to
suicide.