Special Sub-Topic: The Gathering Click Here To Play: The Gathering

What book is Lilly Astaroth reading when she and Nathaniel first meet?

Lord of The Rings. Lilly, like many people, is a big Lord of the Rings fan. She actually took a job at Elderew (the nursing home where she works) because she thought the name sounded elven.

Mr Ellis asked his class to name positive characteristics of ant colonies which humans would do well to emulate. What was Nathaniel's answer?

They would make good slaves. He added that they would never be great writers or artists, or anything like that, because all the really great people were non-conformists. Mr Ellis sent Nathaniel to Mr Karle, who gave him a detention for disagreeing with the teacher.

Nathaniel played cards with Mr Pellman, a man from Elderew. What is the only suit Mr Pellman refers to by its correct name?

Hearts. He calls the other suits 'jewels', 'flowers', and 'shovels.' Nathaniel thinks this makes the game sound more exotic. He also plays his own, slightly different, versions of normal card games

Which of these quotes is written at the start of the book?

Evil comes in many shades: fire-red, uniform-blue but love comes in white and transcends the dark.. The other three quotes are said by Lallie when they forge the chain. I think they're all pretty cool

What is the name of Nathaniel's dog?

The Tod. The Tod gets killed by Buddha, who pours petrol over him then sets him alight, when Nathaniel refuses to join The Gathering. Nathaniel's mum thinks he did it at first.

What was Nathaniel's symbol?

A flat disc. He steals it from Mr Karle's office, with a little help from Danny, who pretends to have been bitten by a spider. Acording to Lallie it symbolises completion because it is a circle.

What is the name of the ex hit-man at Elderew?

Patrick. He claims that he only killed 'the bad guys', so Nathanial doesn't have to worry. He also seems very keen on the idea or killing Anna Galway, a woman at the nursing home.

Where did Indian get his symbol?

He stole it from the museum. Indian's symbol was a bowl. The school put a lot of effort into finding out who stole it.

What does Danny do with his symbol after the Chain defeats the Krakan?

He hangs it above his bed on a wire. Danny's symbol is a papier maiche torch. Nathaniel warns him that one day it will fall down and brain him. Nissa replies that he hasn't got a brain, so why worry?

What are the last words of the book?

May the Chain Prevail Long!. The Chain comes very close to being destroyed when Nissa tries to cast Seth Paul out for betraying them. Luckily, Nathaniel realises at the last minute that the Chain will be defeated if she does.