Summary:The Dark Talent

This page contains a chapter by chapter summary of The Dark Talent. We hope this summary will make it easier to find specific areas of the book, as well as providing a quick plot refresher for anyone who doesn't want to take the time to reread the entire book.

Foreword

Alcatraz claims to be a coward, offering this as an explanation for why it took so long for The Dark Talent to be published. He also briefly summarizes the previous four books in the series and informs us that he has now learned how to use footnotes.

Chapter Doug

Alcatraz is being outfitted by Janie for a public appearance as the former monarch of Mokia. He is presented with several costumes, including a those of a clown, a dog, and a frog, which are apparently the traditional wear of a Mokian former monarch. It is implied that this is so those monarchs cannot change their minds and stage a coup to take control of the country again.

The lights on the trunk containing the costumes go out, and Alcatraz attempts to power them as he has done before with other Silimatic technology and ends up overpowering them, causing them to melt. In order to have an excuse to leave while she replaces the lights, Alcatraz claims to need to use the restroom. While alone, he reflects on the need to stop his father's plan to give Talents to everyone and then hears voices, which he follows. He discovers his grandfather and Kaz having a meeting with the monarchs of the Free Kingdoms through Communicator's Glass about their failure to come to Mokia's aid quickly enough.

Alcatraz calls them liars while in his bathrobe, and the monarchs hang up the call, refusing to be spoken to like that. However, Alcatraz powers the Communicator's glass like he did the lights, reforming the connection. He delivers a dramatic speech about how the Librarians need to be stopped and he is going to do it, claiming to know something the Librarians don't.