Greenmantle · Chapters
Chapters explained
Chapter companions for Greenmantle by John Buchan.
Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the tale to Caroline Grosvenor, explaining that it was written in odd moments during an active year and that the war has made even the most improbable events seem realistic. He notes that the characters are based on real people: Sandy, Richard Hannay, John S. Blenkiron, and Peter Pienaar, each now engaged in war-related roles.
Chapter 2
Greenmantle
Hannay, Blenkiron, and Sandy reunite in Constantinople and learn of the mysterious figure Greenmantle, a prophet who could rally the Muslim world for Germany. They journey to Erzerum, where they encounter the dangerous Hilda von Einem and face a final battle at the Castrol, culminating in a Russian breakthrough and victory.
Chapter 3
A Mission Is Proposed
Major Richard Hannay, convalescing after the Battle of Loos, is summoned to London by Sir Walter Bullivant of the Foreign Office. Sir Walter reveals a German plot to incite a Muslim holy war by sending a mysterious 'star' or revelation from the West to the East. Despite Hannay's protests that he lacks the necessary experience, Sir Walter insists he is the right man for the dangerous mission to uncover the secret. Hannay ultimately accepts, and Sir Walter gives him a cryptic clue—three words: 'Kasredin,' 'cancer,' and 'v. I'—the last remnant from Sir Walter's son, Harry Bullivant, who died obtaining it.
Chapter 4
The Gathering of the Missionaries
Hannay meets the American John S. Blenkiron, a self-described 'benevolent neutral' who is eager to help the Allied cause despite official American neutrality. Blenkiron outlines his plan to travel through Germany openly, posing as a converted sympathizer. Hannay also recruits Sandy Arbuthnot, a seasoned Eastern traveler, for the mission. The three men agree to meet in Constantinople on January 17th, each taking a different route to uncover Germany's secret plan.
Chapter 5
Peter Pienaar
Hannay recounts the departure of his fellow agents, Sandy and Blenkiron, and his own journey to Lisbon under the alias Cornelis Brandt. There he reunites with his old friend Peter Pienaar, a seasoned hunter and former Boer scout. Together they fabricate a cover story of being pro-German Boer desperadoes, testing their act in a Lisbon café and attracting the attention of a German agent. Hannay then briefs Peter on the true mission, and Peter shares his own harrowing recent experiences in German South West Africa.
Chapter 6
Further Adventures of the Same
Hannay and Peter Pienaar are taken on a tour of a German prisoner-of-war camp for officers. During the visit, Hannay unexpectedly encounters Dolly Riddell, a fellow British officer, and manages to secretly communicate with him without revealing his identity. Later, Hannay is summoned by Colonel Stumm and Herr Gaudian, who decide to use him for their purposes, and he realizes the fanatical might of Germany.
Chapter 7
VI: The Indiscretions of the Same
Hannay, still posing as a Dutch collaborator, faces a furious Colonel Stumm after Peter Pienaar gets drunk in a Berlin restaurant and insults the German army. Stumm takes Hannay to a remote castle, where he interrogates him and reveals his brutal worldview. Hannay, realizing he must fight for his life, engages Stumm in a violent struggle, knocks him unconscious, and escapes the castle.
Chapter 8
Christmastide
Hannay escapes from Stumm's house after incapacitating him, flees through a snowstorm while suffering from fever, and finds refuge in a poor cottage where a kind woman and her children take him in.
Chapter 9
The Essen Barges
Hannay, on the run from Stumm, devises a daring plan to escape Germany by stowing away on a convoy of munitions barges heading to Turkey. He bluffs his way aboard by posing as a new engineer, narrowly avoiding capture as Stumm's cordon closes in.
Chapter 10
IX: The Return of the Straggler
Hannay, disguised as Cornelis Brandt, works on a Danube riverboat captained by Schenk. After a chaotic New Year's Eve shore leave, two crewmen desert. Hannay unexpectedly finds Peter Pienaar, who has escaped from a prison camp, and quickly hires him as a deckhand. Peter later recounts his clever escape, which involved feigning a plan with fellow prisoners (who were actually spies) and then escaping a day early. The chapter ends with the boat crossing into Austria.
Chapter 11
X: The Garden-House of Suliman the Red
Hannay and Peter Pienaar arrive in Rustchuk and face complications with unloading munitions. Hannay refuses a bribe from Rasta Bey, insists on proper delivery, and later discovers a telegram ordering the arrest of 'Brandt'. They continue to Constantinople, where Rasta Bey attempts to intercept them.
Chapter 12
The Companions of the Rosy Hours
Hannay and Peter Pienaar find themselves in Constantinople, hunted by the authorities and a hostile mob. They take refuge in Kuprasso's low saloon, where they witness a terrifying performance by the 'Companions of the Rosy Hours'—a group of dancers who evoke primal fear. The spell is broken when Enver's bodyguards arrive, arresting the pair. They are taken to a building, expecting imprisonment, but instead find themselves in a pleasant room, uncertain of their fate. The chapter ends with their capture and the collapse of their plan to meet Blenkiron.
Chapter 13
XII: Four Missionaries See Light in Their Mission
Hannay and Peter are rescued by Sandy and Blenkiron in Constantinople, where they learn of their new identities and the true nature of their mission. Sandy reveals his infiltration of the Company of the Rosy Hours, and the group deciphers that the key figure behind the Greenmantle plot is Hilda von Einem, who owns the very house they are in.
Chapter 14
I Move in Good Society
Hannay, now disguised as the American engineer Richard Hanau and dressed in clothes Blenkiron brought from London, walks through Constantinople with Blenkiron. They observe the city's diverse populace, engage in coded exchanges with contacts, and discuss their mission. Blenkiron explains their cover as engineers interested in Mesopotamian projects, which commits them deeply to the German-Turkish cause. Hannay attends a dinner with Enver Pasha and other German officers, where he plays his part by criticizing British tactics. Later, Blenkiron reports that Hilda von Einem is a formidable and dangerous figure, and that Greenmantle is under her control.
Chapter 15
XIV: The Lady of the Mantilla
Hannay and Blenkiron grow anxious in Constantinople as they await news from Sandy about Greenmantle. During a ride outside the city, Hannay is drawn to a villa where he encounters the mysterious Hilda von Einem. She questions him, appraises him coldly, and attempts to exert her will over him. Hannay resists her spell, and she ultimately provides him with a guide back to the city. Later, a message arrives from Sandy, promising to meet at midnight.
Chapter 16
An Embarrassed Toilet
Hannay, Blenkiron, and Peter learn that their travel orders have been changed; they are now to accompany Hilda von Einem and Greenmantle eastward toward Erzerum, where the Russian army is advancing. Sandy reveals that Greenmantle is dying, but the woman's determination to use the prophet's cause for German propaganda remains undimmed. Rasta Bey unexpectedly recognizes Hannay from their encounter at Rustchuk, leading to a tense confrontation.
Chapter 17
The Battered Caravanserai
Hannay, Blenkiron, Peter, and Hussin travel by train to Angora, then by car toward Erzerum. They steal a car from Rasta Bey at a caravanserai, but later crash their own vehicle. They encounter Turkish troops and wounded soldiers, sensing a major battle in the East.
Chapter 18
Trouble by the Waters of Babylon
Hannay, Blenkiron, and Peter race towards Erzerum in a stolen car, passing through the Euphrates valley. Hannay is obsessed with finding a castrol from his dream, which he believes is a warning. They are stopped by Colonel Stumm, who arrests them, but Blenkiron's bold American bluff creates uncertainty. They are taken through Erzerum under guard, with the sound of distant artillery reminding Hannay of his proper trade.
Chapter 19
Sparrows on the Housetops
Imprisoned in a wine-cellar by Colonel Stumm, Hannay, Blenkiron, and Peter are rescued by Hussin, who leads them on a perilous rooftop escape. During the flight, Hannay impulsively burgles Stumm's room and steals a vital map of the Erzerum defences. The group eventually reaches the house of the Master, where they find safety and food, and Hannay studies the captured map, realizing its immense strategic value.
Chapter 20
XIX: Greenmantle
Hannay, Blenkiron, and Peter Pienaar plan to get vital military intelligence to the Russians. Peter volunteers to carry the map through enemy lines, using his hunting skills. Sandy Arbuthnot arrives in a state of exhaustion, revealing that Hilda von Einem has murdered Greenmantle and his four ministers. The group devises a plan for Sandy to impersonate the prophet, with a final escape scheduled for the eve of the Revelation. Peter departs on his dangerous mission as the guns roar in the distance.
Chapter 21
XX: Peter Pienaar Goes to the Wars
Peter Pienaar recounts his daring infiltration of the Turkish lines during a brutal winter battle. After escaping from a house, he crosses a guarded bridge by impersonating a German officer, then endures a terrifying artillery bombardment that drives him forward into a Turkish trench. He recovers his nerve, crawls through the chaos, and discovers a Turkish spy signaling to the Russians with a bell. Peter subdues the spy, reveals himself as an ally, and convinces the man to send a message to the Russians announcing a deserter with vital news.
Chapter 22
The Little Hill
Hannay, Blenkiron, and Sandy face a final confrontation with Hilda von Einem on a hilltop. After a tense standoff, von Einem offers terms, but is rejected. A chase ensues, leading to a desperate last stand at a rocky castrol, where the group prepares to defend themselves against overwhelming odds.
Chapter 23
The Guns of the North
Hannay, Sandy, and Blenkiron endure a night of bombardment from Stumm's forces, believing they are doomed. They prepare a shallow cave for shelter and reflect on their impending deaths with a sense of fulfillment and patriotism. At dawn, they witness the Russian breakthrough as Cossacks sweep through the pass, routing the German and Turkish forces. Stumm is overwhelmed and killed by his own fleeing men, and the trio is saved by the arrival of the allied cavalry.
Chapter 24
Endnotes
The endnotes provide a brief clarification that the character Peter is identified as a Polish-Jew fellow.
