Six of Crows, #2
Crooked Kingdom
by Leigh Bardugo
Contents
42. Jesper
Overview
The crew regroups at Van Eck’s house, where relief over Colm and Kuwei’s survival is shattered by Matthias’ death. While grief settles over them, the remaining plan continues: the bottleboat is converted into a sickboat to smuggle Nina, Matthias’ body, Kuwei, Colm, and the Grisha refugees out of Ketterdam.
Kaz reveals that the crew will still receive their share of Van Eck’s money, giving each survivor a possible future beyond the job. Jesper chooses responsibility by placing his fortune in Colm’s name, while Wylan, Nina, Inej, and Kaz each gesture toward uncertain new paths.
Summary
Jesper, Kaz, Wylan, Alys, and the others return to the Van Eck house through a strangely emptied Ketterdam. Jesper worries about Colm’s safety and fights the old restless urge to gamble or ruin things, deciding that for this night he wants to stay present and choose differently.
Inside the mansion, Wylan moves through the rooms like an intruder despite having effectively won the estate. In the music room, Wylan admits fear and asks whether Jesper truly meant to stay and help him. Jesper answers playfully and warmly, and their flirtation confirms that Jesper intends to remain beside Wylan as Wylan begins taking control of his new life.
They wait anxiously by the Geldcanal until the bottleboat arrives. Relief turns to grief when Inej, Rotty, Kuwei, Colm, Nina, and Matthias return: Kuwei and Colm are alive, but Matthias is dead. The group lays Matthias in the boathouse, and Nina sits silently beside his body while the others begin transforming the bottleboat into a sickboat because their escape plan must still continue.
As the boat is prepared, Jesper works beside Colm and feels the loss differently from any previous failed job. The crew says the Dregs’ farewell, “No mourners. No funerals,” then each places a red tulip on Matthias’ chest. Nina says she will take Matthias north to Fjerda and bury him near the ice, while the others speak of their futures.
Kaz reveals that he did not give all the money to the Shu: each of them will receive four million kruge from Van Eck’s thirty million, with Matthias’ share going to Nina and Per Haskell’s share going to Rotty and Specht. Jesper asks Kaz to put Jesper’s share in Colm’s name because Jesper is not ready to handle that wealth, and Kaz quietly approves. Jesper then promises Colm that he will try to change, and Colm reassures Jesper that Colm will remain there even when Jesper falters.
Rotty poles the converted sickboat away with Nina, Matthias’ body, Kuwei, and Colm hidden as plague dead, using the city’s sickboat traffic to get them out to the waiting Grisha refugees and Sturmhond’s ship. The remaining friends watch the barge vanish. Jesper notices Kaz has slipped away, and Inej observes that Kaz does not say goodbye; he simply lets go.
Who Appears
- Jesper FaheyPOV character; mourns Matthias, reconciles with Colm, commits to Wylan and responsibility.
- Wylan Van EckNew master of the estate; frightened but hopeful, asks Jesper to stay.
- Nina ZenikGrieves beside Matthias’ body and plans to carry him north for burial.
- Matthias HelvarDead companion whose body becomes the center of the crew’s mourning and escape plan.
- Kaz BrekkerKeeps the plan moving, reveals the crew’s payout, and leaves without goodbye.
- Colm FaheyJesper’s exhausted father; survives the scheme and reassures Jesper of unconditional support.
- Inej GhafaReturns tearful, comforts Nina, and reflects on Kaz’s way of letting go.
- Kuwei Yul-BoSurvives the staged death and prepares to escape Ketterdam disguised among the dead.
- RottyHelps carry Matthias and pilots the converted sickboat through the canals.
- Alys Van EckReturns to the Van Eck house and withdraws while the others wait.