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Chapter 99
Themes
Key
LitCharts assigns a color and icon to each theme in Noughts and Crosses, which you can use to track the themes throughout the work.
Racism, Division, and Tragedy
Awareness and Privilege
Love, Lust, Power, and Violence
Friendship
Youth, Innocence, and Growing Up
Family
Summary
Analysis
Andrew, Callum, and the rest of the cell sit around the TV and watch as Kamal Hadley announces that he’s withdrawing from politics. The cell is now going to pick up ransom money and tell Mr. Hadley to release five LM prisoners before he can see Sephy. Jude reminds everyone of the plan: Leila will stay here while he, Pete, and Morgan make calls so nobody can trace them. Callum will pick up the money and drop off the instructions. Andrew suggests that Leila makes the pickup and Callum stays. Jude is annoyed that Andrew is questioning his authority, but Callum is angry about being made a babysitter.
The LM are planning to raise the stakes for Mr. Hadley, possibly multiple times—and Callum knows now that Andrew has no intention of letting Sephy out alive. So this is all just for show. But especially given what readers now suspect about Andrew, his suggestion to change who does what reads as concerning. Jude and Callum pick up on this, despite not having any real reason yet to suspect Andrew. Both Jude and Callum want to seem competent and powerful.
Themes
As Andrew leads everyone else out of the house, he instructs Callum to shoot Sephy if anyone suspicious arrives. Jude whispers to Callum to not let them down as he follows Andrew. Once the door closes, Callum wishes he was anywhere but here. He remembers watching Sephy’s car drive away two and a half years ago—if only he’d gotten her letter in time. He’d still be alive instead of frozen inside, though Callum also fears he’s not as frozen as he’d like.
For Callum, being left alone with Sephy is a frightening proposition. He implies that she’s the reason he’s not as “frozen” as he’d prefer to be, and he seems to worry that being with her will further erode his resolve to follow through with the LM’s goals. Without others present to remind him of his loyalty to the LM, Callum is a bit lost.
Themes
