Six of Crows: Chapter 3: Kaz Summary & Analysis

The Dregs cheer as Kaz and Jesper come out of the Exchange. Kaz refuses to share what dirt he had on the Exchange guard, and he can tell that everyone is anxious after hearing about Bolliger’s betrayal. As he sends everyone off to drink and gamble, Jesper stops Kaz and insists Kaz should’ve let him know about Big Bolliger. But rather than say something nice and assure Jesper that he knows Jesper is loyal, Kaz just sends Jesper to gamble and drink on credit at the Crow Club. Jesper, Kaz knows, will be happy again after a few drinks—and he always manages to make everyone in the Dregs feel like they played a part in Kaz’s victory.

Kaz, meanwhile, walks down toward Fifth Harbor to make sure things are going well there. He can tell Inej is shadowing him—she can move so quietly—and he finally demands that she say what’s bothering her. When Inej says she’s upset that Kaz has apparently set Geels’s lover’s house on fire, Kaz reveals that he was bluffing: Geels’s lover is safe. He insists that “[w]hen everyone knows you’re a monster, you needn’t waste time doing every monstrous thing.” Then, he tells Inej to fire Rojakke, a dealer at the Crow Club who’s stealing money, leading Inej to observe that greed is Kaz’s god. After a bit more arguing, Inej disappears. Kaz paid off Inej’s indenture at the Menagerie two years ago, and she’s been a fantastic “investment.” But it bothers him that she’s so, so quiet.

Suddenly, a hulking shape appears in front of Kaz. Kaz can’t fight the man off—and then, another figure seems to step through a wall, like a ghost. Kaz is certain Jordie is back for vengeance, but then the figure stabs a needle into his neck. He wakes sometime later tied to a chair in a lavishly furnished study, with stadwatch guards at the door. An impeccably dressed mercher stands up from the desk, and based on his elaborate ruby pin, Kaz knows who this is: Van Eck. Van Eck tries to clean up the dirty and violent Barrel by securing men work with merchers. But Kaz argues that when one in five ships Van Eck sends out to sea sinks, he doesn’t actually have the moral high ground.

Kaz asks, “what business,” which is how all meetings begin in Ketterdam. Van Eck says the Merchant Council has a proposition for Kaz. He goes through Kaz’s history—first arrested at age 10, runs betting books, the youngest floor boss at the Crow Club, adept at blackmail, murder, and obtaining information. Kaz finishes picking his own chains, and he leaps to put a knife to Van Eck’s throat. When Kaz refuses to stand down, Van Eck calls for someone named Mikka—and Mikka walks through the wall. Van Eck explains that this is possible thanks to jurda parem, and Mikka is drugged, not Kaz. The Merchant Council got a sample of jurda parem, which is similar to normal jurda, from the scientist Bo Yul-Bayur.

Van Eck offers to give Kaz a pistol if Kaz will sit down, and Kaz promptly turns the pistol on Van Eck. Van Eck explains that they fed jurda parem to Grisha indentures from each order. The Healer and Fabrikator belonged to Councilman Hoede, and Mikka is Van Eck’s own Tidemaker. Jurda parem, Van Eck says, changes a Grisha’s perspective, allowing them to do things like change their own bodies from solid to liquid to gas. It’s lethal to non-Grisha—and observing Mikka’s sickly look, Kaz thinks it’s not healthy for Grisha, either. Van Eck then hands Kaz a huge lump of gold that the Fabrikator made. He explains the jurda parem is behind the Shu paying off their debts to the Kerch with a bunch of gold and the Zemeni ambassador’s assassination.

Van Eck says it could be devastating if jurda parem becomes widespread: vaults and fortresses won’t be safe, and the economy will collapse if Grisha can make gold from anything. So, Van Eck would like Kaz to “save” Bo Yul-Bayur, who is currently awaiting trial at the Ice Court in Fjerda. At this, Kaz bursts out laughing and insists that “canal rats” like him also value their lives. He only takes Van Eck seriously when Van Eck offers 20 million kruge—Kaz is greedy. This mission would require a very specialized team, but would it be any different from stealing valuables from a safe? And the money would be enough for Kaz to finally pay his “debt to Jordie,” to say nothing of boosting Kaz’s reputation and allowing him to start his own gang.

Kaz asks why Van Eck has come to him and the Dregs, and Van Eck explains that Kaz doesn’t get caught—and he implies that Kaz is the one who recently stole his prize DeKappel oil painting out of an extremely secure gallery. Before accepting the deal, Kaz asks what happened to the Healer who took jurda parem. Van Eck asks Kaz to accompany him, leading him through the house—which belongs to Councilman Hoede—and outside. Kaz heard there was a firepox outbreak here last week. But at the boathouse, which stinks of human waste, Kaz sees guards standing and staring blankly. Van Eck says the Healer took control of all the guards moments after taking the parem, and then she told them to wait. They’re still waiting. She told Hoede to cut off his thumb, and he happily did so. He’s in the countryside, looking much like the guards here.

Kaz suspects Hoede deserved his fate—Grisha came here as indentures after the Ravkan war ended. They didn’t realize they were basically entering slavery. Van Eck explains that the Healer tried to leave in a small boat, but she died trying to return to Ketterdam for another dose. Jurda parem is extremely addictive and, Van Eck says, “debilitating.” Kaz says he’ll do the job for 30 million kruge, and Van Eck agrees grudgingly. They shake on it, and Van Eck asks why Kaz always wears gloves. Kaz says that Van Eck should pick any of the rumors (that he has claws, is scarred, or can kill with a single touch), as “they’re all true enough.”