The Confusion

Neal Stephenson

2004

Starting out more-or-less where Quicksilver finished, this book concentrates on the exploits of Jack Shaftoe, last seen attempting suicide by attacking a group of Barbary Pirates and the Duchess Eliza of Qwghlm, lately with Child, in the court of the Sun King Louis of France. The book is split between the two viewpoint characters with each given their own book.

Eliza continues her dual interests in Commerce and Natural Philosophy, and surviving in the fevered atmosphere of the French Court. Always at the root of her actions was the desire to find the frank responsible for selling her and her mother to the Ottoman Caliph. All she knew of this person was that he rode an albino horse and reeked of dead fish.

Jack, who had thought he was dying of the French Pox, found that the long hard years at the oars in the heat of the Mediterranean had worked a cure so that he suddenly became aware of himself on the shores of Algiers Port. Not only had his sanity returned he found himself a member of a Cabal.

As Jack and his fellow conspirators work upon their plots, Eliza has been prevailed upon to help in rebuilding the French fleet. A decision enhanced after the gallant Captain Bart had impounded her huge fortune. Along with her efforts to aid the Sun King, helped along by the threats to her young son, Eliza goes about rebuilding her fortunes.

Meanwhile Jack and his companions had developed an audacious plan to enrich themselves at the cost of the Spanish. The Governor of Mexico was returning from his overseas posting and no Governor had ever settled for his official salary! Usually their ships were loaded with contraband silver.

But after the raid had gone ahead, the group were… taken aback to find the Governor’s ship loaded down with Gold! After a brief discussion, they accept the gold in lieu of silver and depart with a fleet hot on her tails.

This transaction caused Jack and his Cabal to flee East, first through innumerable irrigation ditches from the Nile to the Red Sea (almost two hundred years before the Suez Canal would make that a relatively trivial exercise) and over to India where they escape from Pirates only to lose the Gold!

After going into a partnership with the Pirate Queen, and being introduced to his nephews, the action moved to the Spanish Philippines where they aimed to follow the Spanish Treasure Ship home. Along the way, Enoch Root, still looking unchanged, intercepted them.

It was only when introduced to Root that the Cabal realise just why their theft had attracted such long range and lasting enmity. Jack, a fairly straightforward guy, thought it a load twaddle, but the alchemists were a damned persistent bunch of enemies!

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