Inkheart

Fenoglio and Meggie are brought to Capricorn’s village, and Fenoglio comments that it looks similar to the setting in Inkheart. Basta is embarrassed when he is publicly scolded by Mortola, the head housekeeper. Mortola, who Meggie thinks of as “the Magpie,” tells Basta that she will take the keys to the prison cells because his performance is slipping. She points out that Basta didn’t bring Mo like Capricorn wanted, and that he was late coming back. Basta is angry and humiliated.

Meggie and Fenoglio are imprisoned in Farid’s old cell. Fenoglio reflects that Mortola looks like how he’d imagined Capricorn’s mother to look. Meggie tells Fenoglio that Capricorn plans to use Mo to read a friend from a book. Fenoglio is briefly confused, as he didn’t write any friends for Capricorn. Suddenly, he seems to realize who Capricorn is seeking, which worries him. As they wait, Fenoglio tries to plan a way to defeat Capricorn; he asks Meggie if Basta is superstitious, and she says yes.

Dustfinger and Farid approach Capricorn’s house, managing to evade the guards on watch. They locate Dustfinger’s maid friend, who is called Resa. Resa does not communicate verbally, and she communicates with Dustfinger by making gestures and writing messages, to which Dustfinger responds verbally. Resa is the one who taught Dustfinger how to read and write. Dustfinger and Resa update each other on the situation, telling each other about Mo, Basta and Mortola, Farid, and Inkheart. Eventually, they part ways, with Dustfinger promising to come back the next evening to see if Resa has learned anything about Inkheart.

Farid angers Dustfinger when he points out that Dustfinger’s photo is indeed of Resa. Dustfinger explains that Resa has been with Capricorn for five years, and that she has tried to run away numerous times. Farid points out Resa looks like Meggie, but Dustfinger brushes him off.

Fenoglio and Meggie are taken to see Capricorn in his church. Fenoglio is impressed and amazed to see his creation in the flesh. Capricorn, like Mortola, comments that Basta’s performance has been poor lately. Fenoglio proves he wrote Inkheart by revealing private details to Capricorn about his background, his personality, and his parents. Capricorn pretends to be indifferent but is clearly spooked and angered by Fenoglio’s knowledge of him. Capricorn tells Basta to imprison both Fenoglio and Meggie in a cell in his home. Fenoglio insists that Meggie come with him.

Meggie misses Mo desperately, but also hopes that he will not come, even though she knows that he will.

Dustfinger and Farid intercept Elinor and Mo as they make their way up the road toward Capricorn’s village. Dustfinger tells Mo that his plan to simply walk into Capricorn’s village is foolish. He warns that both he and Meggie will be imprisoned—likely for life. When Mo is unrelenting, Dustfinger directs Farid to threaten Elinor at knifepoint, directs Mo to hide the car, and ties them both up. He proceeds to Capricorn’s village alone, instructing Farid to stay with Mo and Elinor.

In their locked room, Meggie hears Basta instructing Flatnose to keep watch of the door. She wonders aloud whether she should run away, but Fenoglio warns that it is too risky. She decides that she should anyway; she doesn’t want to be used as bait for Mo.

Dustfinger goes to Capricorn’s house, expecting to see Resa. A young girl he doesn’t recognize answers the door. Dustfinger worries that Resa is in trouble and has been found out and punished. He turns around to see Basta, Mortola, and Flatnose. Briefly, he worries that Resa betrayed him.

Basta and Flatnose mock Dustfinger, claiming he’s in love with Resa. They know he’s come for the book. They take him to Capricorn, and Flatnose tells Dustfinger that Capricorn is angry with Resa. Dustfinger realizes Resa didn’t betray him and regrets getting her involved.

Meggie tells the guard that she needs to go to the toilet. Meggie tries to run away but the guard catches up with her quickly. Fenoglio finds a few books and a flashlight under one of the mattresses. Meggie looks through the Odyssey and a book of fairy tales, finally settling on rereading Peter Pan. She reads the word “Tinkerbell” out loud, enjoying the sound of the word. She notices a light moving around the room and realizes that it’s Tinkerbell herself, who she has accidentally read out of the book.

Footsteps approach the cell; it’s Basta. Meggie tries to hide Tinkerbell. Basta opens the door and is surprised to see the fairy. Basta sees Tinkerbell on the cover of the book and works out that Meggie has read the fairy from the story. He decides to take her and show Capricorn what she can do. Meggie asks whether Mo has come for her, and Basta tells her he hasn’t, but that they don’t need Mo anymore.

Basta takes Meggie to see Capricorn; Mortola is also there. Basta tells Capricorn about Meggie’s ability to read characters out of books. He presents Tinkerbell and shows Capricorn the picture on Peter Pan. Capricorn happily tells Meggie that she will be his new reader.

Dustfinger and Resa are lowered from the roof in nets. Dustfinger calls down to Meggie that Mo sends love and is coming for her soon. Capricorn tells Dustfinger that he wanted Meggie brought to him so that he could use her to manipulate Dustfinger for information about Mo, but he no longer needs Mo now that they know Meggie is a magical reader too. He hints that Meggie will summon “that old friend” (373) to mete out Dustfinger’s punishment—and, at Mortola’s prompting, Resa’s. Capricorn mentions that Darius read Resa out of Inkheart and that she used to have golden hair. He laments that Dustfinger involved Resa in his betrayal, as he’s always favored Resa and liked that she lost her voice when she was pulled out of the book. Resa’s description sounds familiar to Meggie, who peers at Resa but can’t see her face.

Meggie angrily says that she won’t read for Capricorn. Bored, Capricorn tells Basta to take her to his cell. Passing under the net, she tries to get a look at Resa, but only catches a glimpse of her.

Meggie tells Fenoglio that they’ve caught Dustfinger and a woman. She says that she thinks that the woman is her mother—she recognizes her from Mo’s photo. She explains that she is supposed to be reading a character out of Inkheart to kill Dustfinger and Resa.

Fenoglio tells Meggie about the Shadow, a fearful apparition of fire and smoke that Capricorn can summon. It is supposedly made of the ashes of his killed enemies and is immortal. Meggie has a terrifying nightmare of all of the monsters she has ever read about. Fenoglio wakes her, and Meggie despairs, wondering where Mo is.