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Summary: Chapter 15 and Interlude: Ramy

Chapter 15

Robin, Ramy, Victoire, and Letty, having passed their exams and guaranteed their continued scholarship at Babel, look ahead to a stress-free summer. The end of exams has ushered in peace, dissolving tension between the friends, though they understand to some extent that their "golden days" are reaching an end. 

After Morse Code is brought to Oxford, Babel students are required to serve as operators for the new coding system. During one of his shifts, Robin spots two Hermes Society members approaching the tower and realizes in shock that they are Ramy and Victoire. He wonders if he should help them but chooses to observe instead—when suddenly he suddenly hears a loud shriek. The wards have trapped Ramy and Victoire, and Robin rushes to their aid, freeing them but entrapping himself in the process. Victoire and Ramy reveal that Anthony, who faked his death, recruited them. Robin urges them to escape, promising to take the blame. When the police arrive, they don't believe his fumbled excuses and take him to an interrogation room where he faces off with Lovell. 

Lovell bluntly asks Robin how long he has been working with the Hermes Society, and Robin is shocked by his candor. He lies and says three months, though in truth it has been three years. Lovell is furious and accuses Robin of being wildly ungrateful. Robin argues that Babel is rooted in injustice, though Lovell is quick to call him on his hypocrisy; Robin doesn't seem to mind accepting Oxford's money. Robin feels lost and wholly unprincipled. Lovell forces him to admit that it was Griffin who recruited him, then asks Robin if he knows what happened to Evie Brooke. Lovell explains that one night, she caught Griffin stealing from Babel so he murdered her. Lovell even produces the silver bar that Griffin used to kill her. Robin is unsure who to believe. Lovell offers him an ultimatum; the Hermes Society, or Babel. Robin had thought a future at Babel would certainly be taken from him, but Lovell maintains that Robin has strayed off his path due to bad influences. He is willing to give Robin another chance if he gives Lovell information about Hermes. Robin knows very little but reluctantly tells his father about the safe house at St. Aldates. Lovell instructs Robin to keep the bar that killed Evie as a constant reminder of who the true enemy is. 

Interlude: Ramy

In a brief interlude from Ramy's perspective, readers learn that Ramy showed intellectual potential from a young age. His father was a servant for Englishman Sir Horace Wilson, so Ramy grew up surrounded by British families. Their treatment of him was predatory, regarding him as a spectacle, not a person. One day, Wilson told houseguests how Ramy's father's fortune dissolved, forcing Ramy's father to find work as a servant. Ramy observes his father's reaction, noting that it looked as if his father were swallowing something difficult. 

Years later, Wilson departs for Oxford and announces that he'll be bringing Ramy with him to receive an education. His parents know better than to resist. As he bids them farewell, Ramy finally understands his father's expression during the conversation years before. His father was demonstrating why it is important to show those in power what they wish to see. In playing along, Ramy can control the narrative of his life. At Oxford, Ramy easily plays the part, immersing himself in British culture, though always feeling guilty for betraying his principles. So when Anthony recruits Ramy for the Hermes Society during his third year, Ramy readily agrees. 

Read more about Ramy’s character development throughout the novel.

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