Herod Sayle
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Herod Sayle is a fictional character in the Alex Rider universe. He appears in the book Stormbreaker.
[edit] Background
In the original UK edition Stormbreaker novel, Herod was born in the gutters of Lebanon; the US edition changed his nationality to Egyptian. He was one of 13 children (nine boys, four girls). His father was a failed hairdresser and his mother took in washing. One day, he saved two wealthy American tourists, who adopted him and sent him to school in England. He was severely bullied there, however, the primary bully being the future Prime Minister of England. Growing up, he grew to hate the British and abhor school children.
Since his schooling, he has built a large and successful empire, becoming a multi-millionaire. In the film he is mentioned to be a multi-billionaire, giving him a similarity to Bill Gates.
Herod Sayle is nicknamed 'Goat Boy' or 'Herod Smell' by the Prime Minister
[edit] Stormbreaker
Sayle also invented a technique that allows computer components to be developed in non-sterile environments, slashing the price of production. Using this technique, he develops a product called Stormbreaker and is donating a Stormbreaker to each school in Britain in exchange for a British citizenship. However, MI6 is suspicious about his intentions, sending out agent Ian Rider to investigate. After several weeks, Ian Rider sends out an urgent notice, saying that he found something important and needs to contact MI6. However, as he drives back home, Yassen Gregorovich assassinates him. MI6 is even more troubled at Ian Rider's urgent message and his subsequent murder, and desperately needs to know what Ian Rider knew.
Ian Rider's nephew, Alex Rider, must step up to the plate. Alan Blunt blackmails Alex into investigating. A month before, Sayle held a contest; the winner would get to stay at Sayle's house and get a tour of the Stormbreaker factory. MI6 takes the real winner, a kid named Felix, and sends Alex Rider in under Felix's identity.
Alex Rider investigates the plant and its operations and soon discovers what his uncle had found. Sayle has put a genetically modified strain of smallpox onto all the Stormbreaker computers. The smallpox will be released during the grand opening ceremony. In that ceremony, the Prime Minister will flip a switch, turning all the computers and releasing the smallpox in the process. Sayle then imprisons Alex and flies to London to do the ceremony.
Alex escapes and reaches one of Sayle's airplanes. Mr. Grin, one of Sayle's henchmen, flies Alex to London to the ceremony location (because Alex has a gun on him). Alex flies in using a parachute and fires blindly, destroying the switch seconds before the Prime Minister is about to flip it. Sayle is hit by two bullets, in the left arm and shoulder, but escapes. He kidnaps Alex and tries to kill him at the end of the book, but he is shot and killed by Yassen Gregorovich.
Herod Sayle's name was possibly inspired by the Biblical character King Herod, who was famous for massacring all the infants in the land in order to prevent the rise of the Messiah who would overthrow him. Similarly, Sayle tries to kill all the children in England.
Another possible origin for Sayle's name is the similarity with the famous 'Harrods sale'; Harrods is owned by Mohamed Al-Fayed, who superficially resembles Sayle.
[edit] Alex Rider: Operation Stormbreaker
In the movie, Herod's nationality was changed from Lebanese to American, and his name changed to Darrius.
Sayle avoided Alex Rider's bullets in the Science Museum and escaped to Sayle Tower in London, where he had a back-up transmitter to activate the Stormbreakers. Alex, however, defeated Sayle's bodyguard and unplugged the back-up transmitter. Sayle was about to kill Alex when Yassen Gregorovich's helicopter flew up. Gregorovich lowered himself from the helicopter and shot Sayle dead. Sayle's corpse fell from the tower, saving both Alex and Sabina Pleasure.
