Stormbreaker

“Everything of any value had been stripped away and only the rusting carcasses remained, heaped one on top of the other, waiting to be fed into the crusher.”

Horowitz uses personification to describe the forsaken cars as “carcasses,” similar to those of dead humans, like Ian. This description also establishes that Ian’s car will be crushed, with all evidence of his murder wiped away. This makes Alex’s investigation more urgent, showing he has limited time to learn how Ian died before the car is destroyed.

“Ian Rider hadn’t died in any accident. What had killed him was plain to see—even to someone who had never seen such a thing before. A spray of bullets had caught the car full on the driver’s side, shattering the front tire, smashing the windshield and side windows, and punching into the side panels.”

This quote reveals that Ian was murdered, the discovery of which is the inciting incident that leads to Alex catching MI6’s attention and being recruited by them. This also provides a shock for Alex, who lived a comfortable life before Ian’s death. It leads Alex to want to know more about Ian.

“‘I told you,’ he said. ‘The boy’s extraordinary.’

‘The boy’s quite mad,’ the woman retorted.

‘Well, maybe that’s what we need.’”

The quote shows Blunt’s impression of Alex as courageous, unique, and talented, making him the only person he can count on to stop Sayle. He also sees much of Ian in him, with the same athletic skill and inquisitiveness necessary for espionage. He sends Crawley and his driver to find Alex immediately, showing how much Alex impressed him.

“‘You’ve already shown yourself to be extraordinarily brave and resourceful,’ Blunt said. ‘First at the junkyard…that was a karate kick, wasn’t it? How long have you been learning karate?’ Alex didn’t answer so Blunt went on. ‘And then there was that little test we arranged for you at the bank. Any boy who would climb out of a fifteenth-floor window just to satisfy his own curiosity has to be rather special, and it seems to me that you are very special indeed.’”

Blunt’s statement to Alex establishes that he has been watching him since Ian’s murder and that he perceives him as a valuable asset. He hopes these compliments will encourage Alex to join him. The quote also shows that Blunt is highly observant and has a keen eye for detail, especially regarding skill and agility.

“‘I wonder if it’s occurred to you that Rider may have been preparing him for this all along?’ she said.

‘What do you mean?’

‘Preparing Alex to replace him. Ever since the boy was old enough to walk, he’s been being trained for intelligence work…but without knowing it. I mean, he’s lived abroad so now he speaks French, German, and Spanish. He’s been mountain climbing, diving, and skiing. He’s learned karate. Physically he’s in perfect shape.’ She shrugged. ‘I think Rider wanted Alex to become a spy.’”

This exchange between Mrs. Jones and Blunt confirms that Ian was preparing Alex to become a spy, signing him up for sports and introducing him to outdoor activities. Mrs. Jones and Blunt’s realization shows that Alex would never have had a normal life, even if Ian had not died. The pressure he feels as an MI6 agent was years in the making and cannot be blamed only on Blunt.

“That’s not our problem, Mrs. Jones. If the boy gets himself killed, at least it will be the final proof that there is something wrong. At the very least it’ll allow me to postpone the Stormbreaker project and take a good hard look at what’s going on at Port Tallon. In a way, it would almost help us if he was killed.”

This quote by Blunt emphasizes his practicality and non-sentimentality by showing that he is willing to sacrifice Alex to ensure Britain’s safety. Though Blunt does not delight in the idea of Alex’s death, he must know if Sayle poses a threat. Thus, he must risk Alex’s life to potentially save thousands more. The quote reflects The Moral Complexity of Espionage, which forces Blunt to make difficult choices for his country.

“Behind him, Mrs. Jones unwrapped a peppermint and slipped it into her mouth. Her breath always smelled faintly of mint. As head of Special Operations, how many men had she sent to their deaths? Ian Rider and maybe dozens more. Perhaps it was easier for her if her breath was sweet.”

The quote uses sarcastic humor to highlight Alex’s complicated relationship with Mrs. Jones. Though he appreciates her kindness and efforts to help him, he sees her as being nearly as cold as Blunt. He also suspects that she feels guilty, hinting at The Moral Complexity of Espionage. The quote introduces peppermint as a motif for both this theme and Mrs. Jones’s character throughout the series. She struggles with maternal sentiments toward Alex that contradict her role in MI6.

“Alex and the driver went through the front door and into a hall dominated by a huge canvas—Judgment Day, the end of the world painted four centuries ago as a swirling mass of doomed souls and demons.”

The quote introduces the Judgment Day painting, which foreshadows Sayle’s unmasking as a vengeful villain wanting to punish the prime minister for bullying him. The painting is a symbol of Sayle’s plan for England, with the damned figures symbolizing the English schoolchildren who, in Sayle’s mind, deserve judgment.

“Sayle glanced briefly at him, then turned back to the creature hovering over him in its tank. ‘It’s an outsider,’ he said. ‘It drifts on its own, ignored by the other fish. It is silent and yet it demands respect. You see the nematocysts, Mr. Lester? The stinging cells? If you were to find yourself wrapped in there, it would be an unforgettable death.’”

Sayle presents his jellyfish as a symbol for himself. A solitary creature, like Sayle, it is often ignored but remains formidable. Sayle see himself similarly, as an alienated man who is powerful and deserving of respect. The jellyfish also foreshadows Sayle’s plan, with the jellyfish being a deadly creature that is hostile to those it perceives as a danger, like Sayle, who perceives England and its schoolchildren as his enemies.

“Sleep took a long time coming to the dead man’s bed.”

Horowitz portrays the unease Alex feels knowing that Ian slept in the same bed. Alex dreads that he might meet the same fate but knows he must learn what Ian discovered. Alex’s unease only grows after this point in the novel, and the quote presents the moment when Alex starts to see through Sayle’s façade.

“Even in those brief seconds, Alex could feel the speed and the power of the computer. And Herod Sayle was going to put one in every school in the country! He had to admire the man. It was an incredible gift.”

The quote shows that while Alex is a good judge of character and can sense dishonesty, he is still susceptible to Sayle’s charms. The Stormbreaker promotes Sayle’s brand and supports the façade Sayle creates for the world, even impressing Alex. It also establishes that Alex can respect a skilled and talented person like Sayle, even if he does not trust him.

“To his amazement, the screen flickered into life; a tiny, almost opaque window through the metal door.”

The quote shows the power of Smithers’s technology, with the Game Boy’s x-ray cartridge allowing Alex to look into a highly restricted section of Sayle’s factory. The Interplay of Technology and Espionage plays a major role here, showing that Smithers knew Alex might need this technology. It also foreshadows the sinister plan Sayle has for England’s schoolchildren.

“I would be inconsolable if you were accidentally shot and killed in the darkness. Although, of course, it would save me four thousand pounds.”

Sayle uses this joke to cover up his hatred for Alex and his desire to retain his £4,000. The quote hints at Sayle’s dishonest nature and foreshadows his plans to kill Alex later in the novel. Sayle’s façade of generosity begins to crumble when something as minor as losing a snooker game causes him to joke about Alex’s death.

“‘I’m sorry,’ the guard said. ‘I won’t do that again.’

‘No. You won’t,’ Yassen agreed, and shot him.”

The exchange between Yassen and the guard establishes Yassen as a cold and professional contract killer. Yassen focuses on ensuring that his job is accomplished perfectly and sees anyone who causes problems for his organization as an unnecessary burden. This passage foreshadows Yassen’s murder of Sayle for a similar transgression at the end of the novel.

“But Ian Rider had swum through. Ian Rider had done it all, on his own, and he had never stopped…not until the day they had killed him. And Alex had always assumed he was nothing more than a bank manager! He felt his resolve give way to anger. These people—Sayle, Yassen, whoever—had snuffed out his uncle’s life simply because it had suited them. Well, he didn’t die for nothing. Alex would see to that.”

Alex is afraid to go forward in the mine. As he comes close to giving up, he remembers that Ian did it already. Remembering Ian causes Alex to become angry about his loss and inspires him to seek justice. This anger pushes him to advance to the facility and uncover Sayle’s plan.

“Viruses.

Decontamination.

Biocontainment zone…

Understanding came and with it something cold and solid jabbing into the back of his neck.”

The quote presents the unnerving realization Alex has about the Stormbreaker project. Sayle’s intentions are worse than Alex, Blunt, and Mrs. Jones imagined and are the reason Ian returned to London so quickly after learning the truth. The repetition of previously stated words reflects Alex’s process of piecing the details together and pausing at the horror of it.

“The stairs led up to the hall with its huge painting of Judgment Day. Alex looked at the figures, writhing in agony on the canvas. If he was right, the image would soon be repeated all over England. And it would happen in just three hours’ time.”

The quote re-establishes the Judgment Day painting as a symbol of Sayle’s plan to commit mass murder. However, this quote focuses on torment, which horrifies Alex as he realizes the link between the judgment of the damned souls and Sayle’s judgment of England’s schoolchildren. The imagery also gives Alex more urgency, which leads him to escape and rush to the Science Museum as quickly as he can.

“‘I’m sorry you were bullied at school,’ he said. ‘But lots of kids get bullied and they don’t turn into nutcases. You’re really sad, Mr. Sayle.’”

Alex shows his moral integrity and common sense. He has no interest in listening to Sayle justify murdering countless innocents, especially amid his frustration about being recruited as a spy. Alex’s statement also indicates that he perceives Sayle as petty and narcissistic, as Sayle appears to see his suffering as worse than others, an attitude toward which Alex expresses disgust.

“It would be easy enough to shoot the guard right now. A harpoon in the back and the Jeep would be his. But Alex knew he couldn’t do it. Whatever Alan Blunt and MI6 wanted to turn him into, he wasn’t ready to shoot in cold blood. Not for his country. Not even to save his own life.”

The quote details Alex’s mental process as he prepares to steal the Jeep. Alex grapples with The Moral Complexity of Espionage but does not want Blunt to turn him into a killer. Alex’s refusal to abandon his values when it would be easy to do so shows his strong moral character and desire to make his own decisions and follow his own code of morality.

“‘[I]t is the prime minister, and the prime minister alone who is responsible for what is about to happen,’ Sayle was saying. ‘And I hope that tonight, when he reflects on what has happened today throughout this country, that he will remember our days together at school and everything he did at that time. I think tonight the country will know him for the man he is. One thing is sure. This is a day you will never forget.’”

Sayle’s speech at the Science Museum incorporates both verbal and situational irony. Sayle reminds the prime minister of their school days and promises to change English people’s lives. His audience perceives this as a display of fondness for his school days and excitement that English children will have state-of-the-art technology. However, Sayle hopes that the prime minister will realize that his bullying led to the deaths of thousands of children, crippling England socially and economically in the process. The speech also shows Sayle’s charming façade, which deceives even the prime minister.

“‘And the fact of the matter is that it could be wonderfully useful to have someone as young as you—’

‘As talented as you—’ Blunt cut in.

‘—available to us from time to time.’”

Blunt and Mrs. Jones seek to convince Alex that he should be happy to work with MI6 again and that they value his work. However, they do not convince Alex, who still feels that he is not being given a choice. This passage supports The Moral Complexity of Espionage in that their cruel coercion of a minor to risk his life saved the lives of thousands more.

“He should have been feeling better. As he took the elevator down to the ground floor, he reflected that he’d saved thousands of schoolchildren, he’d beaten Herod Sayle, and he hadn’t been killed or even badly hurt. So what was there to be unhappy about? The answer was simple. Blunt had forced him into this. In the end, the big difference between him and James Bond wasn’t a question of age. It was a question of loyalty. In the old days, spies had done what they’d done because they loved their country, because they believed in what they were doing. But he’d never been given a choice. Nowadays, spies weren’t employed. They were used.”

Alex alludes to James Bond to contrast the agency Bond has with the agency Alex lacks. He also contrasts spies of the past with those of the present, arguing that spies used to have more autonomy and are being recruited involuntarily more often. The quote reflects The Moral Complexity of Espionage by showing that even though Blunt and Mrs. Jones’s intentions might be good, they are using him as a means to an end. This strain continues throughout the series.

“‘Those were my instructions.’ There was no trace of an accent in his voice. He spoke softly, reasonably. ‘He had become an embarrassment. It was better this way.’”

This quote shows Yassen’s coldness as a contract killer, having no loyalty toward Sayle and seeing his murder as merely business. His sentiments suggest that he has no interest in people he sees as incompetent or unable to keep their end of a bargain. The quote also foreshadows the presence of a powerful criminal organization with which Yassen is affiliated. This organization reappears later in the series, and Alex gradually learns that it implicates his family.