I Am the Messenger: Ace of Spades Summary & Analysis

Ed sweats and bleeds onto his bed, but he still feels happy. He laughs as he takes a shower and returns to the bedroom. He looks at the two cards and remembers the stories associated with the instructions the cards gave him. He wishes the best for all the people he met in those stories. He wonders what the next card will bring. Ed wants the next tasks to be clear and direct, but he knows that every time he wishes for simplicity, his life only becomes more complicated.

Ed is sleeping on his couch when he hears knocking at the door and assumes it’s Keith and Daryl. Marv walks in. He asks Ed how he got injured. Ed says he was randomly attacked by a gang. Marv asks if Ed can still play in the soccer game that afternoon. Ed says yes, because for some reason he wants even more physical struggle. Marv offers to buy him breakfast.

Ed and Marv go to breakfast at a cheap café. The waitress hassles the boys while they attempt to order from café’s limited selection. She handles their typical sarcastic attitudes and snaps back at them. Their food is inordinately expensive and delivered late. When their food finally does arrive, Ed is disappointed with his meal and Marv offers him part of his food. Ed asks Marv why he is being so nice to him today. Marv admits that he is trying to ensure that Ed shows up to the soccer game later that day.

Ed stops at home and picks up the Doorman. Together, they head down to the community athletics fields. Ed remembers all the time he spent with Sophie here. He holds onto the image of Sophie running for a while, before turning toward the ugliness of the soccer game. The two teams are made up of mostly amateur, rough-looking, barefoot middle-aged men. One of the men, whom they call Merv, grumbles at Ritchie for being late. Ritchie asks Ed why he is all beat up, but does not care enough to press the issue, which is why Ed appreciates his friendship.

Ed realizes he has been assigned to guard the largest player on the opposing team. However, Ed is not worried. Merv gathers the team together and gives them a pep talk about destroying the other team. Before the game, Ed goes to check on his dog. He finds a young boy named Jay petting the Doorman and asks the boy if he minds watching the dog during the game.

The game’s referee, Reggie, is already drunk before the game begins. Ed shakes hands with his opponent, the massive man he has nicknamed Mimi, and the opponent threatens to tear him apart. The game begins and Ed keeps making runs for the goal, only to be pummeled to the ground by Mimi. The crowd cheers every time Ed is beaten down. Merv, the team captain, congratulates Ed on being the only player to go for the ball, despite the physical cost to himself.

At halftime, Ed sits with the Doorman and Jay. As the second half begins, Ed’s team manages to get the upper hand. Marv goads Ed to attack Mimi. In response, Ed encourages Mimi to run at him. On the next play, Mimi collides with Ed. Against all odds, Mimi falls to the ground injured but Ed is still standing. Everyone cheers for Ed, but Ed feels sorry for hurting the other player. The players debate how to move the injured Mimi off the field and relentlessly mock his weight. Ed leaves the field and realizes the Doorman has disappeared.