The Throne of Fire

In Chapter 5, Carter says his dad once told him that “the right choice is hardly ever the easy choice” (74). The characters of The Throne of Fire find themselves faced with many choices, and the most difficult ones often have the greatest impact. Through Bes’s choice to sacrifice himself for the Kanes, Carter’s choice to put Zia ahead of the mission, and Walt’s choice to fight despite his worsening condition, the novel shows that choices can be difficult, even when they seem right.

In Chapter 21, Carter, Sadie, and Bes play senet against Khonsu to win three hours of time—enough to enter and get through the Eighth House. Bes dislikes Khonsu because the moon god is known for his deception, and Bes knows that there’s no way Khonsu would permit all three of them to make it through the game. Understanding the importance of Carter and Sadie’s success, Bes sacrifices himself because he believes the battle against chaos is more important than his existence. On top of that, since meeting the Kanes, Bes has felt like he found family. While at first he only aided them as a favor to Bast, whom he loves, by the time they get to Khonsu’s game, Bes has come to value the siblings’ lives over his own. His choice to sacrifice himself shows his faith in them, and the fact that he does not warn them about his strategy proves his understanding of their compassionate hearts. Even so, Bes does not want to die; he mentions that sometimes gods can come back—an attempt at comforting the kids, and a hint of his own weak hope that this will not be his true end. His decision is heartbreaking, both for him and the kids, but it is the only path to defeating Menshikov and Apophis, and Bes understands that.

Similar to Bes’s sacrifice, Walt decides to fight despite it speeding up his death because he feels like it is the right thing to do. Walt will die regardless of whether he uses magic, and to him, helping his friends keep chaos from rising is more important than giving himself a few extra months to live. Additionally, Walt does not want to be treated as helpless because of his disease—if the Kanes begin to view him as incapable, it would defeat the purpose of them recruiting him to begin with. Sadie argues with Walt about his choice, wanting him to use as little magic as possible, but her argument is as equally based in concern for Walt as it is selfishness. Sadie doesn’t want Walt to die because she cares about him and wants more time with him, but she also doesn’t want him to suffer unnecessarily. Regardless of how she feels, the choice is Walt’s alone, and Walt puts the battle for the greater good above himself.

While Bes and Walt’s choices are rooted in doing the “right” thing, Carter’s choice to put finding Zia over the mission is shrouded in uncertainty. Carter wants to believe finding Zia is the right thing to do, but he doesn’t know if that’s true or if he is convincing himself it’s true because he has feelings for her. Rescuing Zia isn’t as difficult a decision as Sadie thinks it should be for Carter, which makes Sadie think it isn’t the right path. Bes also warns Carter not to have too many expectations about the rescue attempt, which implies that, while rescuing Zia is not a bad choice, it is also not the heroic gesture Carter believes it is.

Zia is hidden with Ra’s crook and flail, which suggests Carter was supposed to find her. However, this is balanced by the fact that Zia has no memory of Carter when she wakes and even lashes out at him immediately. Even though Zia calms down and ultimately sides with the Kanes, she and Carter never really find their footing with each other, which leaves Carter’s decision with an air of uncertainty. Carter and Zia’s situation illustrates the way that emotions can trick people into believing a decision is meaningful and objectively correct, even when that may not be the case.

The same can be said for beliefs, as illustrated through Menshikov and, to a lesser extent, Desjardins. Though Menshikov is a flat antagonist and obvious villain, he pursues his goal—the awakening of Apophis—because of his beliefs. Menshikov subscribes to the words of the ancient prophets, who predicted the rise and triumph of Apophis over Ra. Thus, all his choices and actions are dictated by this belief, even though he is on the “wrong” side. Desjardins initially sides with Menshikov, as he does not believe the Kanes are in the right in siding with the gods, but he is not nearly as fervent in his devotion as Menshikov, and he wavers more and more as the story progresses. In the end, he chooses to support the Kanes, not Menshikov. Like Bes, he sacrifices himself for their success—a difficult decision, given that, until that point, he stood against them.

The characters are also faced with smaller choices. Sadie, for example, finds herself torn between two crushes: Anubis and Walt. Both of these potential romances seem doomed to fail, as Anubis is a god, not a human, and Walt will soon die. But even small inner conflicts like these can have an impact on greater things. Menshikov takes advantage of her feelings when he tries to lure the Kanes to their side, waving the promise of a cure for Walt’s curse in the Kanes’ faces. Later, Sadie breaks down, telling Walt she feels like she failed him by not taking advantage of the situation. Though she made the “right” choice by not siding with Menshikov for personal gain, her feelings for Walt make her oblivious to the wisdom of her choice, as she is focused only on the potential consequences.

The choices made throughout The Throne of Fire show the characters at their most vulnerable. Decisions are difficult even when the “right” one seems obvious, and it’s impossible to say what might have happened if the characters had made different decisions. Once a choice is made, it can’t be unmade, and the characters must move forward and face the results—and consequences—of their decisions.