The Avenger · Chapter
XXVI: The Hand explained
Michael Brixan and Jack Knebworth visit Stella Mendoza late at night to inform her of Lawley Foss's murder.
What happens
Michael Brixan and Jack Knebworth visit Stella Mendoza late at night to inform her of Lawley Foss's murder. Stella reveals details about Sir Gregory Penne's character, his relationship with her, and his past raids in Borneo, including 'lifting' a woman. Brixan learns that Bhag can use a sword. The next morning, Brixan encounters Adele Leamington, who claims she saw the hand of the murderer at nine o'clock the previous night. Later, Sampson Longvale reveals he has been sheltering the brown-faced man and the woman from the tower, both wounded, confirming Penne's story. Longvale also produces a sword the man had with him.
Themes in this chapter
Crime and Justice
The murder of Lawley Foss drives the investigation, with Brixan gathering evidence and interviewing suspects, highlighting the tension between law and the eccentricities of the upper class.
Colonialism and the 'Other'
Penne's raids in Borneo and the treatment of the brown-faced man and woman illustrate colonial exploitation and the dehumanization of native peoples.
Deception and Appearances
Stella Mendoza's 'camouflage' of a luncheon engagement and Penne's facade of respectability as a justice of the peace contrast with his violent past.
Characters to notice
- Mike Brixan
Investigates Foss's murder, interviews Stella Mendoza, and learns of Penne's past. Later meets Adele and discovers the escaped couple at Longvale's house.
- Stella Mendoza
Visited late at night by Brixan and Knebworth; reveals her relationship with Penne, his cowardice, and his history of raiding villages in Borneo.
- Jack Knebworth
Assists Brixan by arranging the meeting with Stella and offering his house as a base for the investigation.
- Adele Leamington
Meets Brixan in Chichester and reveals she saw the hand of the murderer at nine o'clock the previous night.
- Sampson Longvale
Reveals he has been sheltering the wounded brown-faced man and the woman from the tower, and produces a sword they had.
- Sir Gregory Penne
Discussed in Stella's testimony; implicated in past raids and in the disappearance of Bhag.
Key passages
“No, I had no luncheon engagement. That was camouflage, intended for anybody who was hanging around, and we knew somebody had been in the house that night.”
Stella admits her luncheon plan was a ruse to mislead anyone watching, confirming she and Penne were aware of an intruder the previous night.
Reveals the deceptive nature of Stella and Penne's actions.
“He told me that only a year ago, when he was in Borneo, he ‘lifted’ a girl from a wild village where it was death for a European to go.”
Stella recounts Penne's boast about kidnapping a woman from a dangerous village in Borneo.
Highlights Penne's colonial brutality and the origin of the woman in the tower.
“At nine o'clock I saw the hand of the man who murdered him!”
Adele claims she witnessed the murderer's hand at nine o'clock the previous night.
Key piece of evidence linking Adele to the crime scene.