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Summary: Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Even though student expeditions are supposed to occur after fourth year exams, the cohort is told they'll be leaving for China immediately to act as translators. Robin, Victoire, Ramy, and Letty depart for Canton, and Robin feels torn about returning to his homeland. Aboard the ship, Robin, Ramy, and Victoire are never alone for long enough to discuss Hermes, and Letty seems to sense that something is wrong. 

One day, Robin wanders above deck and finds Lovell, who surprisingly apologizes for withholding the love and affection that Robin likely needed as a child growing up in a foreign country. Lovell wants them to have a fresh start, and for Robin to forget about Hermes. Robin is relieved that his future at Babel seems to be secure, but also realizes that Lovell's apology was superficial. He pointedly did not apologize for refusing to recognize Robin as a son, or for letting his mother die. 

Robin, Victoire, and Ramy finally find themselves alone, and Robin reveals that his half-brother Griffin recruited him and also killed Evie. Robin admits that he has been working with Hermes since his first week at Oxford. Ramy is outraged that he never told them, but Robin insists he was trying to protect them. Ramy explodes; he wouldn't care about losing his life at Oxford. He hates it there, infuriated by how others treat him and ashamed that he has betrayed his culture. However, Robin argues that joining Hermes was less dangerous for him since he can pass as white and his father is a well-respected Oxford professor. In Robin's eyes, Ramy and Victoire had more to lose. Robin admits he told Lovell about the Hermes safe house, and Ramy and Victoire are both shocked by Robin's betrayal. He defends himself, claiming that unlike them, Babel is all he has. He does not have a family or a home so if he loses Babel, he loses everything. Ramy says survival is important, but not at the cost of dignity. 

Things become extremely tense and unpleasant between the four friends. Letty tries to figure out the source of the tension, at one point approaching Robin and revealing she knows that Lovell is his father and offering moral support. Meanwhile, Lovell tutors the cohort in Mandarin and prepares them for their expedition. They will be acting as translators for negotiations with private trading companies. China is wary of foreign traders, but the British want open ports and the abolition of trade restrictions on things like opium. Previous attempts to broaden trading rights were unsuccessful, though Lovell thinks that Babel translators have a higher chance of success. Lovell blames the tension between local Chinese populations and British traders on the Chinese, referring to them as barbarians with backwards rulers and a superiority complex and suggesting that violence "might be the best thing for them." He thinks that forcibly opening trade borders would benefit China, stating, "Sometimes a crying child must be spanked."

They arrive in China and the girls are told they'll have to disguise themselves as men. Robin and Ramy speak and ease some of the tension between them. Despite Ramy's anger toward Robin, he clearly still cares for his friend.

Previous section Chapter 15 & Interlude: Ramy Next section Chapters 17 & 18

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