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"We'll be all right. Something'll happen, someone will come. Something's gonna change."

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The Sacrifice
The Sacrifice
Author Charlie Higson
Publication date September 20th, 2012
Published by Puffin Books
ISBN 9780141336121
Publication Order
Preceded by
The Fear
Followed by
The Fallen
"The enemy is closer than you think."
The promotional tagline of The Sacrifice'

The Sacrifice is the fourth book in the Enemy series and the fifth installment overall. It is written by Charlie Higson, and published by Puffin Books. It was released on September 20th, 2012, in the United Kingdom and Australia.

The Sacrifice is chronologically the fourth book in the series, taking place eight days after the events of The Enemy. After arriving at the Tower of London, Small Sam and The Kid are led to St. Paul's Cathedral, where they meet Matthew Palmer and his acolytes. The acolytes believe that Sam and The Kid are the Lamb and Goat from Matt's religion, and intend to sacrifice them to sickos. Upon realizing that the boys are missing, Ed Carter leads a rescue party across London to find them. Meanwhile, Shadowman tracks the growing army of Saint George throughout London, and runs into a headstrong group of kids living in an IKEA.

Plot

At an unknown period of time, a child is locked in a dark room with an unseen figure, later revealed to be under a warehouse, near Saint Paul's Cathedral. The figure talks about how he "fell from the heavens" and landed in "the big green" where he "traveled" from insects to animals over thousands of years, eventually reaching humans. The figure then reveals himself to be a sicko capable of speech, and he devours the child.[1]

The actual story picks up eight days after Small Sam and The Kid arrive at the Tower of London at the end of The Enemy and The Dead.[2] The two boys are constantly teased for their resemblance to the children on the Angus Day Banner, whom they know nothing about. Sam begins to grow restless of his confinement, wishing to see his sister Ella.

Soon, Tower leader Jordan Hordern calls a council to discuss a punishment for Brendan Eldridge, the ex-boyfriend of Jessica, who was caught stealing food. After forcing Brendan to confess, Jordan sentences him to death. Before Kyle executes Brendan, Jordan decides to reduce the punishment to exile. Brendan is kicked out of the fortress and wanders off through the so-called "No Go Zone", the heart of Old London where the sickos are said to be extremely dangerous. In response to Sam's complaints about the mockery from the other residents, Ed tells them about Matt and his Acolytes, stating they are keeping the two boys inside the tower for their own safety. Ed promises to put a party together and eventually take Sam to find Ella. Later whilst eating breakfast, some sentries spot a group of girls fleeing into a nearby pub after being chased by a horde. Ed and a few other kids head to the pub and rescue a fourteen-year-old girl named Tish, who is wearing all green clothes. In a moment of hesitation, Ed accidentally kills the other surviving member of Tish's group.

Tish is brought back to the Tower, and put in the same bunk room as Sam and The Kid. Sam and The Kid start training and fitting in when Tish turns them against the others, insisting that they will never let them go and look for his sister and that they want him to stay there. She proclaims that she and her friends that died while trying to clear the areas of sickos, and that she lives in a safe place in Trafalgar Square that they call The Temple. She says she knows the people from Buckingham Palace, and and offers to take them across the city to find Ella, which they accept. The next morning, Tish starts a small car fire as a distraction, allowing them to escape into the No Go Zone. Sam has second thoughts and feels guilty about betraying the Tower kids, but travels on with The Kid and Tish through the zone. As they move on, they notice a strange clicking sound. The Kid recognises this place, and they are soon ambushed by sickos. The Kid saves them and shows them down the way to a tunnel, which leading to St. Paul's Cathedral. As they get out, they are faced with a gate and ambushed by sickos once again. Sam and The Kid try to kill some sickos while Tish bangs on the gate and calls for help. The kids from inside the cathedral save them, and it is revealed that the building is inhabited by Matt Palmer and his Acolytes, and that Tish and the boys' rescuers are members of his cult. They had found out about Sam and The Kid via Brendan, who survived the No-Go Zone, and believe the boys are the "Lamb" and "Goat" on the Angus Day banner.

At the tower, the trio's disappearance is noticed, and Ed launches a search party consisting of himself, Kyle, two boys named Macca and Will, and two girls named Hayden and Adele. As they make their way through London, Kyle smashes a sicko's skull, and the group fail to notice a mass of moving grey slime that emerges from its head. Eventually, Ryan Aherne and The Hunters bring them to the Houses of Parliament, where they meet Nicola. She tells them that she knew of DogNut but hasn't heard from him since he first came through. One of Nicola's kids, Bozo, tells the Tower kids how to get into St. Paul's, and Ed and company march into the settlement to rescue Sam and The Kid.

Meanwhile, Shadowman has been tracking The Fear consistently through the city, and is learning about their evolving organization. He learns that they have become more intelligent and established a chain of command with Saint George and his remaining three lieutenants at the top. While spying on The Fear, he spots a group of three kids -- Johnny, Ricky, and Jaz -- who are unaware of The Fear. The trio doesn't believe Shadowman's warnings, but they are attacked and surrounded. Ricky is quickly attacked and eaten alive, while Johnny, Jaz and Shadowman escape to the trio's car. Upon realizing that they've lost the keys, Shadowman runs back outside to get the keys off of Ricky's corpse. Once he comes back Jaz won't let him get in the car and he has to wrench the door open. They drive away, but Jaz's injuries cause her to crash the car, and Shadowman passes out. Shadowman later wakes up in an IKEA, and he learns that this is where the trio had come from. Upon meeting with the kids' leader, Saif, he learns Johnny crawled back to his friends and got help despite being injured himself. Jaz died of blood loss after the crash because a sicko chewed her foot off. Saif doesn't like Shadowman and acts too cocky for his own good.

Sam and The Kid are taken by their rescuers into the cathedral and treated to a large feast in honor of the "Lamb"'s arrival. At the feast, The Kid befriends a girl named Charlotte, who reveals that Matt gained respect from the kids at the Cathedral via taking control of a nearby warehouse filled with food. Matt's group eventually reveal their true intentions: they plan to figure out which of the boys is the "Goat", and sacrifice them so the "Lamb" can cleanse the earth of the "Nephilim" (Matt's word for the sickos). Unable to tell which of them is the Goat, Matt imprisons them both. Sam pleads for his friend's life and Matt gets confused. To see who is the real Lamb and who is the Goat he gives them a test. The Kid outwits Matt and says that he is the Lamb, making him look like the Goat pretending to be the Lamb. He then tells Matt that he is the Goat, and is brutally whipped in an effort to get him to reveal his real name. The Kid initially refuses, but eventually breaks and tells Matt that his name is Angus Day. Matt believes this and locks The Kid inside a cage, intending to sacrifice him by feeding him to a sicko the kids call "Wormwood", who is revealed to be the sentient sicko from the prologue. The Kid is locked in the same room as before, where he meets Wormwood. The Kid convinces Wormwood not to eat him, and they work together to escape through a tunnel.

Ed and the rest of his group discover the Cathedral as the Cathedral comes under siege from a huge horde of sickos. They fight their way into the building, where Ed rescues Sam and beats Matt for The Kid's location. Matt takes them to the warehouse, where they find Wormwood's room empty. Believing The Kid is dead, Ed's party, Sam, Charlotte and a few members of Matt's group run into an abandoned building to escape the continuing siege, where they find The Kid and Wormwood. The Kid convinces Ed to bring Wormwood along with them, as he has influence over the other sickos. Whilst Matt barricades himself inside the Cathedral with the rest of his followers, Wormwood helps Ed's group escape by communicating telepathically with the sickos. Brendan, Tish, and Adele die helping Ed's crew escape across the Wobbly Bridge. Ed decides to take Sam to the Natural History Museum, upon discovering that this is where Ella and the Holloway crew are currently located. Farther into the city, Wormwood notices his fellow adults chasing "a fly".

Meanwhile, Saif leads the IKEA kids in an ill-advised attack on The Fear, and they walk into an ambush set up by the sickos. Shadowman watches the demise of most of the IKEA kids from a high vantage point, and begins to go back into the centre of the city to warn the others about the Fear. As he moves, he attacked by one of Saint George's lieutenants, Bluetooth. He attempts to flee on a gimpy leg, but Bluetooth catches up with him. He is saved when he runs into Ed's crew; with their assistance, he kills every sicko chasing him, including Bluetooth himself. He takes Ed's gang to a safe hiding spot, where he decides to reveal his real name to Ed; Dylan Peake. Ed and Dylan swap notes on Saint George and his army, and agree to deal with the issue later.

The book ends with Jordan learning of Ed's trip through London, and declaring that the Tower kids will clear the No Go Zone. We read reflections from Nicola, David King, Jordan, Ed, and Saint George himself about how things are beginning to change. Ed and The Kid believe Wormwood may be the key to finally stopping the infection. It is revealed that Wormwood was a scientist studying parasitic rain forest diseases, and that he may be the first case of the virus' attacking a human. Wormwood repeats the phrase, "out with the bad blood, and in with the good", to The Kid.

Continuity

To be added.


Casualties

  • Louise
  • Ricky
  • Jaz
  • Adele
  • Brendan
  • Tish
  • Bluetooth

Characters

Main Characters

  • Small Sam - A nine-year-old boy from Waitrose who is currently living in the Tower of London. In The Enemy, Sam was separated from his sister Ella after he was taken by a group of adults, and is desperate to find her. After The Kid, Tish, and Small Sam leave the Tower, he goes to St. Paul's Cathedral. Matt believes that Sam is The Lamb, a prominent figure in Matt's new religion. At the end of the Book, Sam is reunited with Ed Carter.
  • Ed Carter - The second in command at the Tower of London. He is sixteen years old, and was the main character in The Dead. He has a distinctive facial scar from being attacked with a meat cleaver by Greg Thorne, who is now Saint George. After Small Sam and The Kid leave the Tower, Ed leads a rescue crew to go and save them from the No Go Zone.
  • The Kid - A nine-year-old boy who befriended Small Sam after rescuing him from a couple of adults living in Kings Cross underground station. After he is turned over to Matt Palmer, who believes The Kid is a religious figure known as the Goat, he is sacrificed to Wormwood. However, The Kid manages to survive and escape along with Wormwood, Small Sam, and Ed's group from the Tower.
  • Shadowman - A boy who spies on settlements throughout London. He tracks Saint George across north London and watches him build up his army, which he names "The Fear". He knows St. George is going to become extremely dangerous but nobody he tries to warn, except for Ed and his crew, takes him seriously. His real name is Dylan Peake, but he tells the IKEA group his name is Carl.

Tower of London kids

  • Jordan Hordern – The leader of the kids staying at the Tower of London. He is very interested in war and strategy and has ordered the kids in the Tower into certain regiments. It is revealed at the beginning of the book that he is slowly losing his eyesight.
  • Kyle – A boy Ed meets during a battle in The Dead. He serves as Ed's right-hand man at the Tower of London and joins Ed's group when they go to rescue Sam.
  • Brendan Eldridge – A kid from the Tower of London who is exiled from the Tower by Jordan Hordern, for stealing canned peaches from the Tower's kitchen. He later tells Mad Matt that Small Sam and The Kid are staying at the Tower of London, and he sides with Ed after the sickos get into St. Paul's Cathedral, but later dies fighting the sickos on the Wobbly bridge trying to buy Ed's group time.
  • Hayden – A girl who joins Ed's group when they go to rescue Sam. She is the fastest runner at the Tower. She later returns to the Tower and informs Jordan Hordern of everything they have seen.
  • Adele - A girl who joins Ed's group when they go to rescue Sam. She dresses fully in pink and is a scary fighter. She dies during the battle on the Wobbly bridge.
  • Ali - A girl in Ed's regiment at the Tower of London. She enjoys reading and being alone.
  • Macca - A boy who joins Ed's group when they go to rescue Sam. He is a good fighter.
  • Will - A boy who joins Ed's group when they go to rescue Sam. He is smart and often advises Ed.
  • Tomoki Ford - Captain of the Tower Watch, and one of Jordan's closest associates. He was originally the leader of the group at the Tower, but was deposed by Jordan at the end of The Dead.
  • Keren - Temporary captain of the Pathfinders at the Tower of London, while DogNut is away.
  • Carly - A lookout in Ed's regiment at the Tower of London.
  • Kate - A lookout in Ed's regiment at the Tower of London.
  • Kinsey - A fast runner at the Tower and one of Hayden's friends, who helps Ed rescue Tish from sickos.
  • Partha - A fast runner at the Tower and one of Hayden's friends, who helps Ed rescue Tish from sickos.
  • Zosia - The girlfriend of Brendan, who protests Jordan's decision to exile him.

Cathedral kids

  • Matthew Palmer – A boy from Rowhurst school and a major character from The Dead. Suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning and the emotional trauma from the oubtreak, Matt formed a religion about a boy known as "The Lamb" who would make things right. He is now living at St. Paul's Cathedral with all of his followers, and their numbers have grown in the year since Matt last saw Ed. When Small Sam and The Kid arrive and Tish takes them to the cathedral, Matt truly believes that the two are the Lamb and the Goat. Furthermore, Matthew says 'The Goat' must be sacrificed so "The Lamb" will have no shadow. Matt's fate is unknown after the cathedral is overrun by grown-ups.
  • Archie Bishop – Mad Matt's second in command. He starts to lose faith in Matt's religion as it gets more and more extreme. He is not very athletic and suffers from living in the smoke. His fate is unknown after the Cathedral is overrun.
  • Tish – A fourteen year-old girl rescued from a pack of sickos by a group of kids led by Ed, outside the Tower of London. She is put into the house Small Sam and The Kid are staying in, and she convinces them to leave the Tower and look for Sam's sister, Ella. She is later revealed to be a part of Mad Matt's group at St. Paul's Cathedral but dies while fighting sickos on the Wobbly bridge, helping Ed's group.
  • Charlotte - A small girl who plays the violin and befriends the Kid, who gives her the nickname Yo-Yo. She escapes with Ed's group when they come to rescue Sam and the Kid.
  • Louise - A girl who accompanies Tish to find Small Sam and the Kid at the Tower of London. She and Tish are trapped, and her stomach is opened by sickos. She is accidentally killed by Ed when he brings a group to save them.
  • Nathan – Matt's head of security at St Paul's Cathedral. His fate is unknown after the Cathedral is overrun. He is less interested in Matt's religion.

IKEA kids

  • Saif – The leader of the kids at IKEA. Shadowman warns him of The Fear, whom Saif underestimates. Saif takes his best fighters to kill Saint George's army of sickos, but he and his fighters are all apparently killed, although he is not specifically shown to have died.
  • Jaz – A girl Shadowman meets whilst tracking The Fear. She is later dragged away by The Fear after her car crashes, with Johnny and Shadowman in the vehicle.
  • Johnny – A member of Jaz's group and its sole survivor. He later makes it back to IKEA.
  • Ricky – A member of Jaz's group who does not believe Shadowman's information about The Fear and is later devoured by them.
  • Dan - A boy at IKEA, who seems more reasonable than Saif.

Houses of Parliament kids

  • Nicola - The leader of the group at Parliament, a teenage girl with flame red hair. When Ed's group arrives, she seems to take a liking to Ed, which Ed realizes. At the end, it is revealed she does have a crush on Ed, as well as that she knows David has a crush on her, but she does not reciprocate.
  • Bozo - A boy on guard duty at the gate. He wears a policeman's helmet which is too big for him and considers himself stupid. He was originally a member of the group at St. Paul's church but left after realizing Matt was insane. He stayed at Buckingham Palace for a while, but left for Parliament upon realizing who David was. He informs Ed's group about Matt's group.
  • Buzz Cut - A boy who tells Ed's group about Matt's group, and that Bozo came from Matt's group.
  • Buckingham Palace kids

Buckingham Palace kids

  • David King - A megalomaniac, power-hungry fifteen year-old, who is trying to unite all the kids of London under his rule. He intends to put what remains of the royal family back on the throne, but finds this difficult when they all become sentinels.
  • Pod - David's head of security at Buckingham Palace.

Other kids

  • Ryan Aherne - The brutal leader of a group of hunters that roam the streets of London with a pack of dogs, killing sickos. He is around sixteen and has a face pockmarked with acne. He finds Ed's group in The No-Go Zone and brings them to Parliament. At the end, it is revealed he misses his family, and his old life, more than he lets on.

Adults

  • Wormwood: An intelligent sicko covered in green mould. Wormwood can think more clearly than he can talk, and among his weird ramblings it is revealed that he knows something about the cause and history of the disease. His real name is Mark Wormold, and before the outbreak he was a scientist studying parasitic diseases. However, the disease inside him causes him to see himself and Mark Wormold as two separate entities. He mentions having three sons and a daughter who "came out wrong".
  • Bluetooth: One of the most intelligent zombies that herds the weakest and the slowest zombies. Bluetooth wears a suit and a bluetooth earpiece. At the end of the book, Bluetooth is killed by Shadowman.
  • Man U – One of the more intelligent zombies in the Fear. Man U wears a Manchester United shirt and stays at Saint George's side throughout the novel.
  • Saint George – The zombie in the St. George shirt, previously known as Greg Thorne, who first appeared in The Dead. St. George is far more intelligent than most infected adults, even to the extent of remembering some words and memories, and retaining some ability to plan for the future. Saint George is revealed to have created a plan to hunt down and devour all children.
  • Spike - One of the more intelligent zombies in the Fear. Spike has stuck in him a bolt from a crossbow with which Shadowman had shot him, which looks like a spike. He stays at Saint George's side throughout the novel.
  • Stickboy - A male sicko, part of Bluetooth's gang which herds the weakest sickos. He walks with a stick. He is knocked over by the injured Shadowman, who manages to take his stick to help him walk, after severing Stickboy's fingers.
  • Stumpy - A sentinel seen by Shadowman. He has only one hand, and flies buzz around the stump of the severed one, hence his nickname.

Background

In an interview, Charlie Higson stated that the book will focus on Small Sam and The Kid, and their connection to Matt's religious scheme. In March, Higson stated that Puffin Books offered him "a seventh book". This made Book Five a direct sequel to The Enemy is now book five, and Book Seven becoming the book containing the final battle.

Trivia

Cultural references

  • In the prologue, Wormwood references the 1966 jazz song "I've Got You Under My Skin" by American jazz singer Frank Sinatra.[1]


Site Navigation

V - E - H The Enemy by Charlie Higson
Series The EnemyThe DeadThe FearThe SacrificeThe FallenThe HuntedThe End
Supplementary material Geeks vs Zombies

Notes and References

  1. 1.0 1.1 The Sacrifice, Prologue (Charlie Higson; 20 September 2012)
  2. The Dead, Epilogue (Charlie Higson; 16 September 2010)
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