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Chapter 103
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
Callum is in a dingy hotel room with Morgan and Jude, watching Kamal Hadley on the news. Mr. Hadley says that Sephy is still unconscious, but she was found this morning. One kidnapper is dead and another is captured. He didn’t pay the kidnappers. At this, he walks away. Jude mutes the TV and asks why they should trust Sephy’s word that Andrew Dorn works with her father. Callum asks how Jude can explain how the police knew where everyone would be—Andrew was the only other person, aside from those involved, to know everyone’s role in the phone relay and pickup. Callum notes that Jude and Morgan probably only escaped because they didn’t have a chance to tell Andrew they changed their places.
For now, everyone has gotten away from the cabin in the woods in one piece; Sephy is safe with her family, and what’s left of Callum’s LM cell is in hiding. To Callum, it’s obvious that Sephy is telling the truth. But because Jude and Morgan see all Crosses as fundamentally untrustworthy, they’re unwilling to consider that Sephy might have given them useful information. Readers, of course, know that Sephy isn’t lying. This shows how the interracial suspicion at play in this world keeps people from trusting important intel.
Themes
Callum notes that Andrew also insisted that Callum was to kill Sephy if police came. That would’ve condemned Callum to death, but Andrew probably also knew Sephy would recognize him. Eventually, Callum is able to convince Jude and Morgan that he’s right. Morgan is enraged, but unfortunately, they have no proof that Andrew is a traitor—and they’ll die if they accuse him of betraying them. Jude says they have bigger things to worry about anyway, but Callum snaps that he didn’t rape Sephy. Neither Jude nor Morgan believe this, so Callum walks away.
Callum, Jude, and Morgan are in a very dangerous spot: Andrew represents danger, but if the rest of the LM trusts him, they’ll look like traitors if they tell the truth about Andrew. The power structure in the LM keeps people from being truly safe. For Jude, at least for now, it’s a bigger issue that Callum supposedly raped Sephy. Jude’s unwillingness to believe Callum speaks to how unusual it is for noughts and Crosses to have genuine romantic relationships in this society. Such a thing is unbelievable.
Themes
Jude suggests they all split up and then meet back up in six months, on Callum’s birthday. Nobody should say anything about Andrew, if only because they have no way to get a message to the General or even identify the LM’s mysterious leader. Morgan is angry that Andrew will be able to expose others in the meantime, but Jude says they have no choice. Then, Jude sends Morgan out to get food.
Morgan’s rage that Andrew will be able to expose other LM members shows how dedicated he is to the LM. For now, if he, Jude, and Callum value their lives, they have to put that loyalty aside. If they don’t, they’ll never be able to help the LM by ousting Andrew.
Themes
Once they’re alone, Jude says he has something “funny” to share with Callum: that night in the hospital, Mum told Jude her great-grandfather was a Cross. Callum can’t believe it. Jude says Mum told him to try to convince him not to join the LM—Jude would be killing his own blood. But Jude says it just made him hate Crosses even more, especially since Crosses consistently treat him terribly. Callum is still confused, but Jude gives Callum some final advice before they split up: stay away from Sephy. She’ll kill him otherwise.
Mum told Jude about his great-grandfather being a Cross to try to convince Jude that noughts and Crosses aren’t so different. They’re all human. But to Jude, that’s ridiculous. Crosses have never treated Jude well, and likely never will, even if they do know that he has Cross blood in his veins. Looks, Jude realizes, are all that matters, and this belief helps keep his society violent and segregated.
Themes
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