Six of Crows: Chapter 26: Kaz Summary & Analysis

Kaz hurries through the cells, looking for Bo Yul-Bayur—and for Pekka Rollins. He feels unhinged, and he remembers the rest of the story of how he became Dirtyhands. After swimming back from the Reaper’s Barge, Kaz experienced a “rebirth.” He “left decency behind,” stealing food from other children and cutting a boy’s feet with a glass bottle so Kaz could take the boy’s job at a gambling den. He soon became Dirtyhands, and he changed his last name from Rietveld to Brekker. Kaz discovered that Hertzoon’s trick was a common one, and he learned that he was exceptional at cards—he and Jordie could’ve gotten rich if only they’d learned that sooner. Before long, Kaz was banned from every gambling establishment, and he started stealing watches and wallets.

Kaz kept an eye out for Jakob Hertzoon and finally, one day, Kaz saw him enter a gin shop. He tried to enter behind Hertzoon, but the bouncer wouldn’t let Kaz inside—and eventually, the bouncer told Kaz that the man who entered was Pekka Rollins, the most powerful man in the Barrel. Rollins looked out the window then and didn’t even notice Kaz. Kaz realized he was just another mark to Rollins. At this point, Kaz approached Per Haskell and asked to join the Dregs, knowing he could one day turn the gang into his own “army.” Back in the present, Kaz finally finds Rollins’s cell. He hesitates for a moment—everyone else is waiting for Kaz—and then decides to pick the lock. Jordie won’t get his revenge if the Fjerdans kill Rollins.