The Knife of Never Letting Go

The man lowers the rifle, and Todd sees that it is actually an old woman, which is why there was no Noise when she approached. Her name is Mathilde, but she goes by Hildy. Viola and Hildy head up the trail after Hildy offers them a place to sleep. Todd feels that he has nowhere to go. He doesn’t want to infect anyone at the new settlement, and he can’t return to Prentisstown. Then he hears another person’s Noise coming.

The newcomer is an old man, Hildy’s husband, Tam. Todd realizes that Hildy is married to a man with Noise. One of Tam’s frequent thoughts is “brother in suffering” (153), which he directs at Todd. Tam says there is no cure for Noise, although someone in a place called Haven is working on one. Hildy tells him that Noise doesn’t kill women. This seems to remind her of something, and she says that Prentisstown has a sad story.

They tell Todd there is more than the bridge keeping people away from this side of the river. They reach a farmhouse. It is made of a ship and looks like a swan. Viola says she was in a scouting ship, prior to a new group of settlers. Thousands more are coming.

The settlers are months away. Tam says it takes 64 years to get from Old World to New World. They’re frozen for most of the journey, which means that Viola was born during the voyage. Her body is older than her age, since she spent most of the journey frozen in a chamber to preserve her during the flight. They left their planet before Todd’s settlers even got there, because they wanted to find something better than Old World.

Hildy’s settlement is called Farbranch. Viola is mad because she can hear Todd’s thoughts about her. They grow angry with each other’s perceptions of the situation, and Hildy demands that they apologize to each other. That night, Viola says the arrows on the map pointed at Farbranch. That could mean that these are the people Todd should warn.

They go to Farbranch the next morning, where there are both men and women. Todd thinks of how different it is from Prentisstown, and his thought of Prentisstown makes everyone look in his direction. A man with a machete stops Todd and says he’s not welcome.

The man’s name is Matthew. He was originally from a place called New Elizabeth. Matthew’s head is full of violent images that frighten Todd. When Matthew looks at Viola, Todd steps between them with the knife. Hildy makes Matthew leave them alone, and he starts crying. He says, “It’s meant to be over. Long over” (176). Todd doesn’t understand what he means, and he wonders why Hildy is in charge.

Hildy says they trade the orchard fruit with other settlements. Haven is the biggest settlement, and the most like a city. Todd describes the Noise in Farbranch as quieter than Prentisstown and more normal. There is less panic and sorrow in it. He sees kids smaller than him; the first of his life. He wonders if Viola would be safe here if he were to leave her. He doesn’t want to endanger her further.

They go to Hildy’s sister’s house. Her name is Francia; she is the deputy mayor. She says there’s an army following Todd and Viola, not just the few men on horseback that they saw at the bridge. The army is getting bigger with every settlement it passes.

Francia lets them in, but she’s not happy about it. Manchee has to stay outside. Viola tries to talk to Todd about him defending her from the man with the machete, but he refuses. He looks at the map again and wonders again whom he is supposed to warn and what he is supposed to warn them about.

Francia says they can stay for a while. They will have to work, go to church, and attend school if they stay long enough. Viola asks if they have technology that would let her send a message to her people. Francia says no. Viola is stuck until her ship arrives in a few months.

Francia takes Todd and Manchee to a barn, where a man named Ivan agrees to let Todd sweep in the back. Todd notices that women give most of the orders. Ivan says there is a meeting than night about him and Viola. The townspeople will vote about what to do with them. The Farbranch citizens have sheltered Prentisstown people before, and Ivan say says that Prentisstown still has allies. Francia sends Todd into her house for dinner while they have the meeting.

As he eats, Todd hears Noise from the meeting, but it isn’t hostile. Then he hears Matthew’s Noise saying, “Ye ain’t going nowhere, boy” (197).

Matthew says they have a law in town, but he doesn’t explain what it is. He says that Todd needs to know that Matthew’s mother was named Jessica. Todd sees Matthew’s Noise and tells him that what he sees is a lie, but the reader doesn’t know what he sees in Matthew’s Noise. Todd runs to the other end of the house, and Manchee bites Matthew. Todd comes back and tackles Matthew after he chops Manchee’s tail with the machete.

As Matthew comes closer, Todd chops the cords binding the silage rolls in the roof above, and they fall on Matthew. Francia comes in and tells Todd he has to get away. The Prentisstown men are attacking the town.

Outside, people with rifles are running towards the orchard. Viola bandages Manchee’s wounded tail. She says they should go to Haven because they’re endangering Farbranch. Todd wonders if they will be safe anywhere.

As they leave, Viola says they’ll have to walk for a couple of weeks. Outside of town, Todd wonders if what Matthew showed him was the truth about Prentisstown. They reach a hill and look back. The entire town of Prentisstown is assaulting Farbranch. It’s not just the posse. The men on horseback are shooting everyone with rifles.