This post contains MAJOR SPOILERS from late in the set. Do not read this post unless you've read ALL of the books that have been published. You've been warned.
In this post, I focus on piecing together what I can about Prentice and what happened before his memory break.
I am confident that the books have sufficient clues for us to draw the conclusion that Kenric is Forkle (see post). When Kenric asks Prentice to be his Keeper in Forgotten Secret #5 in Stellarlune, his true intent is for Prentice to be the Keeper of the Black Swan. Since Prentice does become the Black Swan's Keeper, we know that he must have accepted.
In Exile, Sophie enters Prentice's mind for the first time and speaks to Jolie (page 242). Eventually we learn that Prentice uses Jolie to picture himself, because his mind is so broken that he doesn't know what he looks like.
In later books, Prentice uses Cyrah to represent himself in his mind (Nightfall, page 584). Since Cyrah is important to Prentice, I assume Jolie is also important for some reason. According to Forkle, Jolie was working "deep undercover" for the Black Swan (Everblaze, page 460). We also know that Prentice was investigating something during the time just before he was arrested (Nightfall, page 43). Prentice and Jolie might have been working together.
Forkle believes that Prentice's mind contains something crucial (Neverseen, page 107).
The Lodestar symbol is retrieved from Prentice's mind (Lodestar, page 95). Sophie obtains pieces of the symbol after transmitting "swan song" to Prentice. Prentice uses Jolie to tell Sophie that the phrase has "a pull, like an anchor." This implies that the Lodestar symbol has something to do with the reason why Prentice called swan song.
Livvy discovers that Prentice was drugged with soporodine before he was handed over to the Black Swan (Nightfall, page 493). The characters believe that the Neverseen probably drugged Prentice due to fear that Prentice would reveal something. It is assumed that a dwarf loyal to the Neverseen is responsible, but no one knows for sure.
Lodestar, page 349: She explained about the disk in his cloak, and how Prentice's memory of the symbol seemed to be connected to him calling swan song, and how they found the shadowprint of the symbol on the floor of the abandoned hideout in Paris.
I assume that Prentice discovered the Lodestar symbol during his investigation.
Nightfall, page 43: "We didn't know you'd caught on to Prentice until it was too late," Livvy said quietly. "Even when he called swan song, I thought it had something to do with what he was investigating, not that he was about to be arrested. "What was he investigating?" Sophie asked. "Honestly? I have no idea," Livvy admitted.
I suspect that Prentice had no idea he was about to be arrested and that he called swan song for some other reason. If Prentice was investigating the Lodestar symbol and the Neverseen, he could have found out about Nightfall.
The first chapter of #10 Elysian was published in the paperback edition of Unraveled. I noticed some familiar descriptions. From Chapter 1 of Elysian:
Gisela flashed a smile..., "I thought I was hunting down a place—not a person. Following clues scribbled on the tatters of a long-forgotten map to 'whispering rapids' and 'butterflies kissed with red'..."
Kenric uses the same phrases in Forgotten Secret #6 in Stellarlune:
Stellarlune, page 261: "By following a convoluted trail of evidence that I've slowly pieced together over the last several months."
Stellarlune, page 262: "Something had mentioned 'whispering rapids,' so when I found this river, I followed it here."
Stellarlune, page 263: "But see how they have red on their faces? I found a mention about that, too—'butterflies kissed with red.' "
Clearly, Kenric and Lady Gisela had the same information source. But how could that be?
Kenric likely learned the clues about Elysian sometime prior to Prentice becoming his Keeper (butterflies kissed with red, etc.). It is apparent that Kenric's clues about Elysian were saved to Prentice's mind.
In Exile, Sophie enters Prentice's mind.
Exile, page 240: There was a fountain in the center of it all, two golden figures standing in a round pool, holding hands as colored streams of water showered them from every direction.
The description is of the Unity Fountain in Atlantis, featured in Nightfall. The Unity Fountain is the entrance to Nightfall.
Sophie also sees this when she enters Prentice's mind.
Exile, page 239: Glowing eyes peeked through bushes covered in blue ears, and butterflies with bright red lips whispered sounds like mush.
That
part describes the place, Elysian. If Kenric stored that information
in Prentice's mind, then surely he stored everything he knew about
Elysian in Prentice's mind, including the phrases "whispering rapids"
and "butterflies kissed with red."
What if Gethen got to Prentice? Gethen might have probed Prentice's mind and retrieved the information about Elysian. An event like that would have caused Prentice to call swan song. I believe Shannon hints at something like this in Forgotten Secret #5.
Stellarlune, page 254: "Even if your plan works," Prentice said, noticeably not agreeing, "the Keeper would be a target for anyone seeking privileged information."
Kenric insists that only he and Prentice would know.
Stellarlune, page 254: Prentice shook his head. "We all know how easily information can leak." "Not if you and I are the only ones who know we're working together."
Stellarlune, page 257: Instead he stepped closer and told Kenric, "No amount of talent will ever make me infallible."
Prentice was probably investigating something that had to do with the Lodestar symbol and the Neverseen. Perhaps he came to the attention of the Neverseen in some fashion, so Gethen probed his mind. In fact, Gethen might have tried different trigger words that would have then revealed important secrets, like the information about Elysian.
Gethen might then have washed Prentice's memory so that the Black Swan and Prentice would have no way of knowing that he had probed Prentice's mind.
Stellarlune, page 249: Everyone assumed he'd used the Black Swan's code for imminent danger because he'd somehow uncovered the Lodestar symbol and feared the Neverseen would be coming after him. But the explanation didn't totally make sense, as Prentice could've told someone what he'd learned—both to help prove his innocence and to make sure the information didn't get buried if he ended up in Exile. Instead, he had kept everything to himself. Almost as if he hadn't known who he could trust.
Gethen might have washed enough of Prentice's memory that it caused him not to know who he could trust. In fact, Gethen might have wiped out almost everything in Prentice's mind that pertained to the Black Swan. I suspect that Prentice's mind was already broken to a significant degree before his mind was completely broken by Quinlin and Alden.
While I'm sure that I don't have it quite right, I feel that I'm on the right track. If Gethen retrieved Kenric's clues about Elysian from Prentice's mind, he might have shared that information with Lady Gisela. Lady Gisela followed the clues to Elysian sometime after Prentice was exiled. She didn't find anything, and then her starstone was lost.
Kenric didn't know what Elysian is, and Lady Gisela is quite surprised to learn the truth in the released first chapter of #10 Elysian. This makes sense. If Kenric didn't know the truth, then the truth was not placed in Prentice's mind.
I have had several theories about why Kenric searches Fintan's mind. In my post about Forgotten Secret #4, I wrote that Kenric learned about Elysian from Fintan's mind. I now think differently.
Kenric learned about Elysian from some other source, possibly Fallon Vacker. That information was saved in Prentice's mind, and I believe that it was retrieved by Gethen. Lady Gisela then used that information.
We know that Gisela was in contact with Ethan Benedict Wright, who I believe is a Forkle identity. Forkle/Ethan could have heard information about Elysian from Gisela and then realized that a leak had occurred.
I believe the leak is Prentice via his mind being probed by the Neverseen. But Kenric didn't know that had happened.
Kenric might have entered Fintan's mind to see if Fintan was connected to why Prentice called swan song. Kenric was checking to see how much of the information stored in Prentice's mind had leaked. He was checking to see if Fintan had the information. Kenric shattered the portion of the memory from while he was in Fintan's mind to avoid anything about Elysian from spreading further.
Alvar showing up in San Diego searching for Sophie has always bothered me. He was ostensibly searching at Alden's request, yet the Neverseen chided him for making the mistake. Even though Alvar was searching for Sophie at Alden's request, he was actually helping the Neverseen find Sophie.
I believe Alvar knew to search in San Diego because Gethen probed Prentice's mind and learned Sophie's location. That is why the fires were set in Keeper. Alvar had failed years before, and then the Neverseen set fires around San Diego to try to flush Sophie out.
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| ‘Perhaps he came to the attention of the Neverseen in some fashion, so Gethen probed his mind. In fact, Gethen might have tried different trigger words that would have then revealed important secrets, like the information about Elysian.’
ReplyDeleteAt first, I thought: If Gethen had probed Prentice’s mind and did try trigger words, wouldn’t he have learned that Kenric recruited him? I then realised Kenric might have already washed Prentice’s memories of him at this point. From Prentice’s perspective, his Black Swan contact probably wasn’t Kenric but Mr. Forkle. Still, it’s odd since washing technically isn’t erasing the memory, but burying it deep in your mind, under e.g your greatest fears. And the memories Kenric saved in a way that his Keeper wouldn’t be aware of them must be hidden/buried, too. So how did Gethen dig up the hidden memories of Elysian but not those of Prentice’s recruiter? Of course assuming he didn’t learn that Kenric was involved in the first place.
I’ll admit: The fact that the recruitment memory could just be hidden differently and not be connected to the trigger words is a possible explanation—though it seems like random luck Gethen only stumbled upon a Kenric memory. But I’ll give him that, haha.
I agree that Kenric’s information probably comes from Fallon Vacker. I wonder what role Fallon played in the investigation. Did Kenric—somehow—steal the information? Or did Fallon actively help him? If so: How much did Kenric share with him? I believe Kenric might have told him very little to nothing as he’s quite secretive about Elysian. I noticed he behaves very similarly in the scene where he doesn’t want to tell anyone what he had learned about Vespera, saying it would be for the best if none of them were burdened with that information (Nightfall, Ch. 68).
I like your take on the Black Swan from a previous comment (them having made many of the same mistakes the Council had). Mr. Forkle appears to view washing as the default solution (Sophie’s memories, Sophie’s human parents’ trauma, Elysian etc.), although he did recognise that the cache system is flawed.
What astonishes me is how Ethan could try to inhibit Gisela’s scheme without knowing it is Lady Gisela he’s meddling with. They had no idea she was with the Neverseen in Everblaze. If he knew that Gisela had information on Elysian, then surely she’d be the Sencen he’d be more wary of than Cassius.
A completely unrelated thought: Why did Forkle once ask Tinker to make explosives? (Flashback, after Mr. Forkle asks her to make weapons. It’s at the very beginning of a chapter, I didn’t note down the number.) Is this ever going to be relevant?
I continue to get confused about the Kenric/Prentice Forgotten Secret. I just wrote up my thoughts again, and I now remember how I reasoned it out before. This is what I just typed up:
DeleteI’m really confused about Kenric’s recruitment of Prentice. We’ve discussed it on Reddit, and others take the Forgotten Secret literally as Kenric recruiting Prentice to be his personal Keeper. But it doesn’t make sense.
If Prentice were already the Keeper of the Black Swan, why would he agree to be a Councillor’s personal Keeper? It doesn’t add up.
It’s more logical that Prentice became Kenric’s Keeper first, and then he became the Keeper of the Black Swan. But then how did Kenric get it switched to the Black Swan?
My belief is that nobody in the Black Swan knows Forkle’s true identity, except perhaps for Wraith, who retrieved the dead Forkle’s body. If nobody knows who Forkle is, then it makes no sense for Kenric to have recruited Prentice.
But wait. A pause occurs when the crystal for the Forgotten Secret with Prentice is selected. Something is missing from the start of that secret. One person on Reddit suggested that Forkle or Leto brought Prentice to see Kenric. This is plausible, since Forkle/Leto/Kenric is a pair of twins. One twin was in the guise of Forkle/Leto, and the other was Kenric.
It could be that Forkle/Leto (more likely Leto since he works at Foxfire) informed Prentice that Kenric wants to see him, and in this case, my assumption is that Prentice was already working with the Black Swan as their Keeper and knew that Leto was with the Black Swan. Leto might have encouraged Prentice to see what Kenric wanted and to keep an open mind. After all, if the Black Swan’s Keeper had an “in” with a Councillor, then they could gain information.
That’s what Forkle/Leto would have told Prentice. Instead, it was a means to use Prentice for Council secrets as well as Black Swan secrets. A “2-in-1” deal and Prentice would never have been the wiser.
If Leto was the contact to get Prentice in touch with Kenric, then nobody saw Kenric contacting Prentice directly. Leto then brought Prentice to see Kenric in his library.
If Prentice agreed to be Kenric’s Keeper and information was saved, then most likely Kenric’s identity was later washed (likely shattered) from Prentice’s mind so that he had no memory of Kenric.
At this particular moment, this makes sense to me and would explain why Kenric was recruiting Prentice. I’ve never understood how Kenric recruited him to the Black Swan without outing himself. Rather, Leto probably recruited Prentice to the Black Swan, and then events played out later with Kenric as I just described. This is my best guess at present. It really helps to type it out and then read through it again. The Forgotten Secrets are so interesting in how they give us these vague clues that we must try to reason out.
I've wondered about exactly what Prentice's purpose as Keeper was. All that's ever been mentioned is that he was hiding Sophie's location. He also had her DNA. It's clear that the Neverseen/Gethen did retrieve the location from Prentice. It seems the only other information was possibly the clues to Elysian.
DeleteIs that really it? Prentice just had Sophie's information and then the Elysian information?
I go back to the quote where it is said that Prentice acted like he didn't know who to trust. Could Forkle/Leto have removed all memories of Black Swan members' identities from Prentice's mind? That sounds pretty awful to leave him confused about who he was working with, but it's possible. The Black Swan are all about protecting their interests at all cost, and Prentice might not have been treated the best as a result.
Forkle does say that he blames himself for Prentice's plight, and it definitely is Forkle's fault.
If Wraith saw the dead Forkle’s body changing into Kenric, then Livvy must know about his true identity too as she “made sure he was buried properly”. He could have obscured the truth by disguising the body before he gave it to Livvy but I think that’s a bit of a stretch. So I believe that his identity is still unknown to the entirety of the Black Swan.
DeleteWhile we’re at the Forkle death scene: When Sophie is told about Brant and sees his corpse, she thinks that something isn’t right with that information, although she can’t put a finger on what. She is distracted by Mr. Forkle’s struggle to breathe. As far as I can tell, it’s never brought up again.
Another thing: When they climb the stairs in Brumevale, Fitz gives Sophie Alvar’s radiant and she throws it all the way down. I wonder if these shards later helped the Neverseen to cause the damage. That scene was kind of random in my opinion.
Your version on his recruitment definitely makes a lot of sense! Livvy says that Forkle has always been the master of secret messages and riddles, so I think it really is possible that Prentice didn’t know who he was actually investigating for—and as Leto, Mr. Forkle would have perfect access to still give him Black Swan assignments.
I think Prentice’s purpose might have been to store all of Black Swan’s secrets in general. Livvy mentions that they used to keep (haha) information to themselves to protect their identities. What if something happened? The information would be lost. But if they had a keeper no one knew of—someone who thus wouldn’t be targeted—then it could be preserved. The problem is that we don’t know what Black Swan was even doing before Project Moonlark started the fight against the Neverseen, and what sort of secrets he’d need to keep. It seems like they were just…there, recruiting people and doing investigations. Sure, there was Jolie, who tried to infiltrate the Neverseen, which shows that they were aware of the other group. I can see the Neverseen causing some chaos. But I thought the Black Swan was primarily there to prove the prejudices wrong, not fighting the Neverseen??
I think part of Sophie’s purpose was originally to be a keeper too, kind of replacing Prentice. Her mind is impenetrable, so she is the safer option. Prentice’s mind could in some fashion contain similar secrets as Sophie’s, like the location of the unmapped stars. Though I fail to see how that could be a secret relevant enough to “employ” a keeper for. It technically isn’t even a Black Swan but a Council secret.
Someone on reddit recently mentioned how Forkle probably doesn’t want Sophie to be a Keeper because of Prentice. While I largely agree, I think it’s strange since: 1) No one would be able to perform a memory break on her and 2) she’s a target because of the Neverseen anyway? And there are already secrets hidden in her mind (though these could’ve been planted before Prentice’s arrest). But I get that maybe he’s reluctant because having a keeper didn’t really help in solving the problems of their world.
The elves need to stop running away from their problems. Their very real fear of guilt shattering their minds is holding them back, so the only way I can currently imagine this conflict to be truly resolved is if they find a way to prevent that from happening.
I can answer the thing about Sophie knowing something is off about Brant being dead. I also puzzled over that one during at least my first two readings through the books. I then realized that Sophie had seen three assumed Neverseen members escaping over the beach. She thought that they were Gethen, Fintan, and Brant. If Brant was dead, then what Sophie had seen made no sense. The explanation is that the three figures were Gethen, Fintan, and Vespera. Sophie didn't know about Vespera's escape until later.
DeleteOn your comment about guilt, I wonder if Sophie could be immune from the weakness. She's been warned several times about being careful not to let her thoughts go in that direction. But I wonder if her time around humans might mean that the weakness from guilt might not impact her like other elves.
Thanks! That makes sense.
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