The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey

On the train, Kate attempts to contact Noland again. Reynie asks to see the radio and then throws it out the window, explaining that he does not trust Noland. All of the other children are upset by Reynie’s actions. The next morning, the children decide to get off the train one stop before Thernbaakagen to avoid detection. Sticky finds a map of the area and learns that there is a science museum in Thernbaakagen. They deduce that the museum must contain the documents belonging to Mr. Benedict’s parents. The children decide to look for clues at the museum and then head to the hotel. When the train arrives at Thernbaakagen, a businessman looks for Kate. He does not find her and learns from the conductor that Kate and her friends got off the train early. The children finally arrive at the science museum in Thernbaakagen and discover that all of the museum employees are injured. In the museum library, they meet a librarian named Sophie. They tell her about the papers that they want to see, and Sophie tells them that people have been hurt because of these very papers.

Sophie tells the children that men dressed in business suits—Ten Men—attacked the staff at the library in an attempt to find the papers. Sophie would have shown the papers to the Ten Men if they had just asked, as the contents of the library are available to the public. When the police arrived, the men ran away, but on their way out, they knocked Sophie unconscious. She is still very shaken by the incident. Constance comforts her, and Sophie agrees to bring the papers to the children.

Sticky reads the papers very quickly and shares their contents with the others. The papers include letters that Mr. Benedict’s mother wrote to her sister in America before Mr. Benedict and his brother were born. The letters reveal that both of Mr. Benedict’s parents had narcolepsy and were looking for a cure. Mr. Benedict’s parents received a letter from a friend, Han de Reizeger, who told them about a rare plant called duskwort. It is a delicate but very powerful plant, and it may provide a cure for narcolepsy. Unfortunately, it often gets out-competed by a mimic plant called thwart-wort, which has no useful properties. The Benedicts were very secretive about duskwort because of its potency. Very small amounts can be used to put people to sleep. The papers include a reference to an island where Han de Reizeger found the duskwort, but all maps of the island have been removed.

The children deduce that duskwort must be the plant that Mr. Curtain wants. Sophie’s colleague, Mr. Schuyler, comes to talk to the children. He tells them that Mr. Benedict visited the library and was the one who removed the maps. Mr. Curtain visited the library on the same day as Mr. Benedict; this was the day that his Ten Men attacked Sophie and the other staff members. Mr. Curtain escaped the police and has not been seen since. Now, Mr. Schuyler wants to call the police on the children, but Sophie lets them escape.

Reynie believes that Mr. Benedict and Number Two are on the duskwort island and that Mr. Curtain and his cronies followed them there. The children make their way to the hotel. When they arrive, they ask the staff at the front desk if there is a message for them from Mr. Benedict. One of the staff, Hubrecht, tells them that he does indeed have something for them, but only if they show him “the item.” Reynie realizes that he must be referring to Constance’s pendant. Hubrecht gives them the key to their room. Ten Men arrived before them but had no pendant, so they left. The other staff member, a woman named Daatje, acts suspiciously.

When the children leave the hotel lobby, Daatje secretly makes a phone call to say that a group of children has come to the hotel. She insists that no harm should come to them. In the hotel room, Constance finds a letter from Mr. Benedict. It contains a clue that tells them to “sleep on it” (238), so they search the mattress and find money and an address for Risker Water Transport. Reynie realizes that Daatje must have told the Ten Men where they are. Constance senses that it is too late for them to escape; the Ten Men are already here.

A Ten Man enters the room and tells the children to give him the next clue. Kate attacks him and manages to splash lemon juice in his eyes. She snatches his briefcase, but he soon regains the upper hand and traps the children. Reynie sees another Ten Man in the hallway outside, but it turns out to be Milligan. Milligan knocks out the Ten Man and is reunited with his daughter. The children and Milligan leave in a police car that Milligan has “borrowed.” Milligan explains that he has been tracking the children since they left Mr. Benedict’s house. He found Jackson and Jillson in the train station in Lisbon. Now, Milligan drives into an abandoned warehouse, explaining that he thinks Mr. Benedict and Number Two took a boat with Risker Water Transport to the duskwort island. He believes that whoever owns that business will know where the island is. The warehouse is just across from the docks. Milligan wants to scout the location first and tells the children to stay behind. After he leaves, the children all agree to disobey him.