Drowned Wednesday
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| Author | Garth Nix |
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| Cover artist | Sandra Nobes / Hofstede Design (paperback, Allen & Unwin) |
| Country | Australia |
| Language | English |
| Series | Keys to the Kingdom |
| Genre(s) | Fantasy, Young adult novel |
| Publisher | HarperCollins (UK) Scholastic Press (USA) |
| Released | February, 2005 |
| Media type | Print (paperback, hardcover) |
| Pages | 390 pp (paperback, HarperCollins) |
| ISBN | ISBN 0-00-717503-5 (paperback, HarperCollins) |
| Preceded by | Grim Tuesday |
| Followed by | Sir Thursday |
Drowned Wednesday is the third book in the The Keys to the Kingdom series by Garth Nix. This book was released in February 2005. It is a sequel to Grim Tuesday. Drowned Wednesday deal with the deadly sin of gluttony.
[edit] Plot summary
Drowned Wednesday is the first trustee (The Morrow Days) who is on Arthur's side and wishes the Will to be fulfilled. She appears as a whale in the third book, who has suffered from Gluttony.
The book begins when Leaf is visiting Arthur and discussing the invitation that Drowned Wednesday sent him. Arthur had been admitted to hospital because of the damage done to he leg when he fended off Nithlings in Tuesday's Pit. Suddenly, the hospital room becomes flooded with water from the Border Sea of the House. Leaf gets snatched away from a large ship with green sails, while Arthur is stuck on his bed. Praying for help, he takes out the Mariner's Medallion. When it doesn't work, Arthur is stuck with no hope. Eventually, a buoy filled with the pirate Feverfew's treasure floats toward him. As soon as Arthur opens it, his hand is marked with a bloody red colour. Arthur now has the Red Hand, something by which Feverfew marks whoever has opened his treasure, so he can identify them later. Not long after, a ship, the Moth, comes and rescues Arthur.
On board, Arthur (going by the name of Arth) is introduced to Sunscorch, the First Mate, and Capatain Catapillow. Their journey brings them through the Line of Storms and into the Border Sea, where they are later pursued by Feverfew's ghostly ship, the Shiver. The damage inflicted on the Moth is serious, so Sunscorch commands an Upper House Sorcerer, Dr. Scamandros, to open a transfer portal to elswhere in the Secondary Realms. However, Scamandros claims that Arthur is carrying something that interfered with his magic, and tells Sunscorch to throw him overboard. As a last resort, Arthur shows them the Mariner's Medallion, which stops Scamandros saying that they must get rid of Arthur.
After going through the transfer portal (with Arthur's help), the ship is grounded on a beach. Arthur yearns to learn what happened to Leaf. Dr. Scamandros applies his sorcery to make it possible. She is revealed to be aboard the ship Flying Mantis. Arthur joins Catapillow for supper, later to reveal his identity. At first, due to propaganda issued by Dame Primus (Arthur's Steward), they are skeptical, but eventually become convinced.
A few days later, Wednesday's Dawn appears and gives Arthur a lift to meet Wednesday for her 'luncheon of seventeen removes.' As they approach, Wednesday shrinks into her human form to meet Arthur. During their lunch, Wednesday tells Arthur that after Part 3 of the Will has been released, she will surrender the Third Key to Arthur. Arthur is taken by Wednesday's Dawn to a place called the triangle, in search of his friend Leaf. He learns that Leaf has been forced to work on the Mantis, but is otherwise fine. Arthur talks to the Raised Rats, a group of anthropomorphic rats summoned by the Piper, and makes a deal with them to take him to Feverfew's hideout. They believe it is inside Drowned Wednesday, in a worldlet within her stomach.
On the Raised Rats' ship, Arthur opens a gift from Dr. Scamandros, which proves to be a scrying mirror. With this, he communicates with and rescues Doctor Scamandros. A rat watches him during the scry, and ends up pulling him out, saving him from a battle with Feverfew.
Later, the Rats bring him on their submarine, where he meets with Suzy Turquiose Blue. In contrast to Suzy's former cockney attitude, she has assumed a more "ladylike and proper" demeanor on the orders of Dame Primus. Only when they are no longer on the Border Sea, but under it does she resume her customary ways of speech.
They are, with navigational difficulty, able to enter the stomach of Duchess Wednesday and the worldlet therein. Arthur and Suzy, disguised as rats, find the escaped slaves, professed followers of the Carp. These exiles take them to the Carp, who is the third part of the Will. They are halted in their attempt to escape by Feverfew, who proposes an exchange of blows. Each contestant will try to kill the other by means of one strike and one strike only.
Arthur fails his first try, then dodges Feverview and severs his head again then leaf kicks it into a mud puddle containing Nothing. Upon his death, the worldlet begins to collapse. Via the Moth, Arthur and all his friends (with the exception of the reluctant Catapillow) are able to escape. Lady Wednesday recovers from her gluttony, then dies from being piosoned by the worldlet which had opened a void to nothing.
Arthur, now Duke of the Border Sea, appoints Sunscorch and Scamandros as his Noon and Dusk. On Earth, his parents are deceived into believing that he is with them by a Nithling called the Skinless Boy, who was created in the previous book.
| Novels by Garth Nix | |
|---|---|
| The Keys to the Kingdom: | Mister Monday • Grim Tuesday • Drowned Wednesday • Sir Thursday • Lady Friday • Superior Saturday • Lord Sunday |
| The Old Kingdom series: | Sabriel • Lirael • Abhorsen • Across the Wall: A Tale of the Abhorsen and Other Stories |
| The Seventh Tower: | The Fall • Castle • Aenir • Above the Veil • Into Battle • The Violet Keystone |
| Standalone novels: | The Ragwitch • Shade's Children |
