The Lies of Locke Lamora

Twenty years later, the Gentlemen Bastards, now led by Locke, begin a new con. The con centers around Don Salvara, an extremely wealthy member of Camorr’s nobility. On the morning of the con, Jean, and Bug, the Bastards’ newest member, approach a part of Camorr known as Coin-Kissers’ Row on a barge. Jean tests Bug to make sure he understands the details of the con and his role in their plan. Bug exasperatedly explains his job: “I make the signal when Salvara’s on his way out of the Temple of Fortunate Waters. I keep an eye out for anyone else trying to walk past the alley, especially the city watch” (46). They’re joined by Locke, Calo, and Galdo. Locke and Jean dress up as their Vadran aliases, Lukas Fehrwight and his man Graumann, and go to an alleyway near the Temple in Coin-Kissers’ Row. Locke and Jean lie down in the alley, and Calo and Galdo pretend to strangle them. Bug keeps watch.

The Don is late, and the Bastards are concerned that he won’t arrive to see their pantomime. Bug sees the city watch approach, and to distract them, he jumps off the rooftop where he was keeping watch into a pile of trash. The distraction works, but Bug runs away so the watch doesn’t catch them. He’s unable to signal the Bastards when the Don finally appears. The Don arrives and “rescues” Lukas and Graumann from strangulation. As Lukas, Locke explains that he’s in town to do business between famous House of bel Auster and Don Salvara’s rival, Don Jacobo. Don Salvara “convinces” Fehrwight to do business with him instead, and they agree to meet the next day, falling in line with Locke’s plan. Locke and Jean arrive at their rented room and strip off their disguises, unaware that they are being followed.

The Gentlemen Bastards worry about Bug, but he eventually reappears in a barrel that he hired a man to carry to Calo and Galdo. Calo and Galdo roll the barrel back to their hideout, with Bug still in it.

In an interlude that flashes back to the past, young Locke tells Father Chains the story of the double murder he accidentally committed. Locke wanted to get revenge on one of the older orphans, Veslin, so he stole a white iron crown—a very valuable coin—from a Vadran merchant and planted it in Veslin’s room. He told the Thiefmaker that Veslin took money from the yellowjackets. The Thiefmaker kills Veslin and his roommate Gregor. When Locke finishes his story, Father Chains asks if Locke wants to know where he messed up and why his friends will be dead in the morning.

The novel returns to the present. Locke and Jean, in their guises as Fehrwight and Graumann, accompany Don Salvara and his wife, Doña Sofia, onto their pleasure-barge. The Doña is an alchemist, and the barge is full of alchemical trees. They sail the pleasure-barge to a monthly event called the Shifting Revel, a Colosseum-like spectacle on boats. Locke tells the Don and Doña that conflict is brooding in the nearby Kingdom of the Seven Marrows, one that will likely lead to economic instability and war. Locke is using real information, though his identity is false. He offers the Salvaras two expensive bottles of Austershalin brandy: one real and won through another of the Bastards’ con games, and one counterfeit. Fehrwight asks the Salvaras to provide Camorr-flagged ships to help take the Austershalin brandy out of Emberlain. In return, he offers them a share in the profits from the brandy once it’s sold in the years to come.

As they agree and shake on the deal, they watch the final gladiatorial competition of the Shifting Market: the teeth show. Four contrarequialla, or shark gladiators, fight starved sharks and attempt to survive while the crowd watches. The Doña mentions that the Berangias sisters, the best contrarequialla, aren’t present. Locke knows them from the criminal underworld, and he knows where they’ve been.

In the past, Father Chains finishes telling Locke what he did wrong. Chains underscores his point by requiring Locke to make a “death-offering”—a valuable sacrifice to the Thirteenth God. Chains determines that the death-offering will be 1,000 crowns for each orphan killed because of Locke’s actions, an enormous sum of money that will take Locke years to collect. Once Locke has done this, he can remove the shark’s-tooth death mark from his neck.

Chains shows Locke into the temple and through a secret passageway to the Gentlemen Bastards’ true home, an enormous Elderglass cellar furnished with beautiful wood and precious metals. Locke is in awe as Chains describes how he acquired some of the riches, and shows Locke how to use fancy silverware. Calo and Galdo Sanza bring out dinner, and as they eat, Chains tells Locke that he’ll be learning about “everything! [...] How to fight, how to steal, how to lie with a straight face. How to cook meals like this! How to disguise yourself. How to speak like a noble, how to scribe like a priest, how to skulk like a half-wit” (139). Locke also learns that there’s another Gentlemen Bastard, Sabetha, who is currently away.

Two masked men show up at Don Salvara’s house in the middle of the night. One of the men, with black hair, a scar, and a mustache, informs the Don that they’re Midnighters, members of the Duke’s secret police. The Midnighter tells the Don that Fehrwight is a sham and asks if he’s ever heard of the Thorn of Camorr.

The Gentlemen Bastards are eating dinner and celebrating victory. They toast Father Chains, who passed away before Bug joined the gang. Locke becomes morose when Sabetha is mentioned. He quietly admits that he still loves her.

At the Salvara home, the mustached man explains to the Don that the Thorn of Camorr, who is actually Locke, has scammed multiple nobles out of a significant amount of cash, and the Duke wants him caught. The Don asks what he should do, and the man tells him that he should act as if he’s still taken in by the Thorn’s act. This includes giving Locke all the money he asks for.

Back at the Bastards’ lair, Locke and Calo begin dressing up, and Jean assists with letting out Locke’s outfit. Locke transforms himself into the mustached Midnighter who invades the Don’s house with hair dye, a fake scar, and a false mustache. As they get ready, Bug arrives, and they chat about the Midnighters and their mysterious leader, known as the Spider.

At the Don’s house, Locke informs the Don that this matter must be a secret, and nobody will address him publicly about it. He and Calo take their leave. As Locke and Calo escape, a “fluttering shadow” (177) tracks them until they reach the temple district.