# XVI explained — The Stainless Steel Rat

> Chapter companion for The Stainless Steel Rat by Harry Harrison.

## What happens

Jim diGriz, having been captured and drugged, awakens in the custody of Count Rdenrundt, a Freiburian nobleman who is plotting against King Villelm. Jim plays along, claiming to be Grav Bent Diebstall, and learns that Angelina is likely behind the Count's wife's death. He observes the Count's conspiracy and waits for Angelina to reveal herself.

## Themes in this chapter

### Transformation and Reinvention

Jim adopts the identity of Grav Bent Diebstall, a disgruntled noble, to infiltrate the conspiracy.

### The Hunt and the Hunted

Jim is both a prisoner and a hunter, tracking Angelina's influence while evading the vendetta.

### Crime and Identity

Jim's false identity as a criminal nobleman is key to his survival and the plot's progression.

## Character check-ins

### Slippery Jim diGriz

Narrator and protagonist; poses as Grav Bent Diebstall while infiltrating Count Rdenrundt's conspiracy.

### Angelina

Implied to have orchestrated the Count's wife's death; Jim detects her influence but she remains unseen.

### Count Cassitor

Referred to as Count Rdenrundt; a Freiburian noble plotting against King Villelm, who has recruited Jim.

### Kurt

A young noble officer on the Count's staff; shows Jim around and reveals the Count's wife died in an 'accident.'

### King Villelm

Mentioned as the ruler of Freibur and cousin to Count Rdenrundt, against whom the Count is plotting.

### Grav Bent Diebstall

Alias used by Jim; the Count believes he is this exiled nobleman.

## Key lines

> All at once the picture was getting clearer. Count Rdenrundt—a born opportunist—aided his noble fortunes by marrying the daughter of this family. This must have worked well enough until Angelina came along. Then the extra wife was in the way, and ignorant of this charming local custom of revenge-killing, Angelina had removed a stumbling stone.

Jim realizes that Count Rdenrundt married into a wealthy family, but Angelina killed his wife to eliminate an obstacle, triggering a vendetta.

_Jim deduces Angelina's role in the Count's wife's death._

> I tried a little delicate questioning and Kurt was frank with his answers. Like a lot of the far-country gentry he bore a grudge against the central authorities, although he would of course never have gotten around to doing anything about it on his own. Somehow he had been recruited and was ready to go along with the plans, all of which were very vague to him.

Kurt, a young noble, resents the central government and has been recruited into the Count's vague conspiracy.

_Jim assesses Kurt's role and the conspiracy's nebulous nature._

> Now if there is one thing that always marks Angelina's trail it is a corpse or two. It took no great amount of inspiration to connect her with the 'accidental' death of the Count's wife.

Jim recognizes Angelina's pattern of leaving corpses and links her to the Count's wife's death.

_Jim confirms Angelina's involvement through her signature method._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_stainless_steel_rat_se/chapters/xvi
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_stainless_steel_rat_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/the_stainless_steel_rat_se/chapters