THE LASTLING(SUMMARY)

Chap 1:

Paris and her uncle Franklin are at the departure lounge of an airport awaiting their flight, but it is delayed. The strength of Franklin’s personality is made apparent by the way he behaves and what Paris tells the reader about him.

Chap 2:

The setting changes and Shengo, an old monk, and his young disciple Tahr are introduced. They live a simple life on the hillside praying and are visited by people searching for a blessing or advice. From this point we know that Shengo has decided that he and Tahr will be going on a journey. 'There is a life… on the edge’ Shengo says. Through this chapter and the next the reader explores the close relationship between the master and the boy.

Chap 3:

The journey undertaken by Tahr and Shengo continues. The reader continues to explore the relationship between the two. The reader also begins to infer and deduce a little more about Tahr and his reaction to the helicopter. The chapter ends with a dramatic climax when Tahr causes Shengo to lose his footing while crossing a waterfall.

Chap 4:

The reader is back with Paris and her Uncle Franklin again. This time they have set up camp with the others on their expedition, having trekked to reach a place out of sight. The reader finds out about the others on the expedition, the ‘very special club’; some information about the camp they have set up; and more about Paris and Franklin. At the end of this chapter she encounters a boy who stumbles into the camp.

Chap 5:

The reader finds out that the boy who stumbled into the camp is Tahr, who is lost without Shengo. Through the dialogue the reader learns more about the visitors in the camp and how they react to a stranger.

Chap 6:

Tahr tries to make sense of what has happened to him. Paris takes him on an exploration of the camp and they encounter Franklin again. The hunting party leave the camp and Tahr is left on his own. He thinks about escaping but realizes that he has nowhere to go now that Shengo is dead. He meets Donald and Renaud as they wait for the hunters to return.

Chap 7:

The hunting party are out in the forest, where Paris is subjected to a difficult time from Gavin but defended by Harriet. The expedition group shoot a monkey and a couple of ducks. That evening the Ultimate Diners Club transforms the campsite and they eat the animals they have killed. We learn that the ducks were the last of their species.

Chap 8:

Tahr undertakes jobs in the camp as the dinner party continues. He finds it difficult when Paris demands his attention as he tries to get to his tent. He puts her behaviour down to her being drunk. He promises not to run away but feels in danger whether he stays there or runs away. Later he either dreams or thinks about the incident at the waterfall which caused Shengo to fall. He cries out and is comforted by Paris. Tahr tells Paris that he thinks he saw a yeh-teh by the waterfall.

Chap 9:

The morning after the Ultimate Diners Club has feasted the campers are a little subdued. Paris tells them about the yeh-teh. She tells Tahr that they are going to look for his master but he knows she has betrayed his trust. The expedition group set off and find the waterfall where Tahr saw Shengo fall. Tahr is shocked to find that everything is the same, which means someone has replaced the log that was used as a bridge.

Chap 10:

The expedition group continue to try to track the yeh-teh. Finally they arrive at a pool where they see two shapes crouching together. Tahr comes rushing through the water to the body of Shengo – the creatures have laid Shengo out in ceremony. Through injuring the larger one, Shikarri and Gavin are able to capture the young one.

Chap 11:

Having captured the yeh-teh the hunters explore and discuss what it could possibly be. Tahr feels responsible and finds the situation very difficult. He asks if he can be allowed to visit it. The camp feels uneasy with theyeh-teh there.

Chap 12:

Overview: Tahr is allowed to visit the yeh-teh. She is described in greater detail. He chants to help calm her. Tahr is able to read the yeh-teh’s thoughts.

Detailed summary:

• Geng-Sun is tied in an animal pen.
• Geng-Sun’s hands are tied, he is blindfolded.
• Tahr feels bad for her and thinks that she might be an outcast of her species.
• The room in which Geng-Sun was kept was tightly packed, to avoid her escaping.
• Tahr recalls the time of Shengo; he remembers that Shengo used to help all the animals.
• Tahr feels that he could calm down Geng-Sun by chanting.
• Tahr starts chanting.
• Tahr wishes that Shengo would have taught him more chants, so he could have helped Geng-Sun easily.
• Nobody slept comfortably in the camp, everyone was scared of Geng-Sun, and everyone had some weapon along with them.
• Tahr felt that Geng-Sun can see him, despite being blindfolded.
• Geng-Sun moves towards Tahr, he continues chanting.
• Tahr thinks that he must free her.
• Tahr takes out a gift which he brought for Geng-Sun.
• Geng-Sun reached out for the gift and took it.
• Tahr touched Geng-Sun carefully.
• Tahr opened Geng-Sun’s blindfold.
• Tahr and Geng-Sun start to communicate through thoughts.
• Tahr could see the event of Shengo’s ceremony and open fire through Geng-Sun’s eyes and from a completely different view.
• Tahr is now sure that he saw Geng-Sun in the forest at the time Shengo fell in the river.

Chap 13:

Paris reflects on Franklin and the camp. Tahr reluctantly discusses the yeh-teh with Franklin and tells him that he thinks there are many of them, despite being able to read the yeh-teh’s thoughts about being the ‘only one’. Paris, with Tahr, meets the yeh-teh, which she finds difficult, especially when she sees what the yeh-teh sees in her uncle. Paris agrees to help Tahr to release the yeh-teh.

Chap 14:

The escape is set up by Tahr and Paris. Tahr waits with the yeh-teh while Paris, on guard duty, acts as if she thinks she sees something. The commotion allows Tahr and the yeh-teh to escape.

Chap 15:

Tahr and the yeh-teh communicate through their thoughts. Despite reservations he agrees that they can go back to the pool where the mother yeh-teh was injured and Geng-sun (the young yeh-teh) was captured.

Chap 16:

Tahr and Geng-sun continue on their escape but are tracked down by Shikarri’s dog. Trapped, with only one direction to go, Tahr is captured by a group of rebels who force him to go with them.

17:

Tahr and Geng-sun continue on their escape but are tracked down by Shikarri’s dog. Trapped, with only one direction to go, Tahr is captured by a group of rebels who force him to go with them.

18:

Overview: Tahr is with the rebels, tied up and kept under guard. Having killed a number of the hunting party, the rebels capture Paris. Franklin escapes. Tahr pretends not to know Paris. Geng-sun manages to rescue Paris and Tahr.

Detailed Summary:

• Tahr is in a cage, trapped by the Rebels.
• Tahr converses with Gurung, the Rebel.
• Gurung tells Tahr that he and his fellow rebels killed policemen, and then watched TV shows on their TVs.
• Franklin’s group is tracking Tahr and Geng-Sun.
• Shikarri’s Mastiff smelled Geng-Sun and ran to chase it but Franklin stopped it as it would lead them to other Yeh-Tehs.
• Paris is confused, on one hand she wants to meet Tahr and Geng-Sun, and on the other hand she wants them both to run away to safety, from Franklin.
• Franklin’s group is attacked by the Rebels. Shikarri’s people and Gavin are killed.
• Tahr showed them Rebels the way to Franklin’s group.
• Rebels hit Shikarri and question him.
• Paris fainted.
• Paris finds herself hanged in mid-year by ropes.
• Rebels changed Paris’s clothes, from American clothes to Rebel’s clothes.
• Paris looks around and finds Tahr hanging from in mid-year too, just like her.
• Gurung was guarding. He was looking at Tahr and Paris.
• Paris whispered to Tahr but Tahr acted as if he doesn’t know Paris.
• Tahr translated and conversed for Paris and Gurung.
• Shikarri changes his side from Franklin’s to the Rebels.
• Franklin had run away.
• Gurung tells them that the Rebels will ask American Embassy money in exchange for Paris’s life.
• Paris started to cry to gain mercy.
• Geng-Sun was hiding in that place, camouflaged.
• Soon he pounced, attacked and took down Gurung, who fainted.
• Geng-Sun found an axe and he used it to cut the ropes of Tahr and Paris, to set them free.

19:

Tahr, Paris and Geng-sun make their escape. Geng-sun helps them with a difficult climb and cautiously they make their way back to the camp. Paris doesnt know if she can trust Geng-Sun but Tahr tells her that she helped him and took care of him. She asks them to stay behind while she goes to the campsite. Paris enters the campsite alone to find that the camp has been messed and everyone had been killed. All the tents have been raided and all valuables have been taken away. Everyone is lying dead, dressed for a dinner party. Paris looks for Franklin, and realises that he is not there. She is fearing that he might have been dead too. She starts to go back towards Tahr and Geng-sun. Franklin speaks.

20:

At first relieved to see Franklin and then, Paris is frightened by his character. Franklin talks weird saying it was the end of everything, he cheers with Paris for nothing, Paris thinks he's drunk, but she cant find any alcohol around. Paris wonders why Franklin is talking so evil. Tahr pulls Paris away and Paris leaves the camp with Tahr and Geng-sun.

21:

Geng-sun hunts for her mother. She finally finds her dead, having crawled into a deserted cave. Geng-sun gets a sign while sleeping that there is a safe place for Yeh-Tehs. Geng-sun then communicates to Tahr that there is a safe place for the yeh-teh that she hasn’t been to, the ‘Ice Fortress’. She doesnt know the way but she tells Tahr that it is above the skyline, between 3 mountains. Geng-sun gives her mother a death ceremony. Paris falls asleep during the ceremony. Tahr also sleeps.

22:

Tahr and Paris are woken by the sound of a helicopter and gunfire. The smoke from the incense that Geng-sun is using for her mother makes them a clear target. Paris and Tahr shelter from the gunfire while Geng-sun throws rocks that bring down the helicopter. The helicopter falls Paris and Tahr find her injured. Undeterred, she still insists that they carry on. Tahr offers Paris to stay behind while he takes Geng-sun to the Ice Fortress, but Paris disagrees and wants to go with them. Tahr tries to convince Gengsun to get well before they move on, but Gengsun doesnt want to stop. Paris learns the sign language Tahr uses.

23:

On the trek to the ‘Ice Fortress’, someone is following them. Tahr, Paris and Geng-sun encounter Franklin. Again he acts strangely. He finally shows his real intentions of the journey. To capture the Yeh-Teh and use her DNA for cloning and controlling. As the ice bridge he is standing on collapses, he falls a great distance. Paris is saved by Tahr and Geng-sun. They continue with the journey to the Ice-Fortress.

24:

The three continue with their journey but, as they approach where the Ice Fortress should be, they can’t see it. Geng-sun looks around but cant see anything. Suddenly, Geng-sun's attitude changes and she chases them away with a spear. Tahr and Paris turn back and move back to where they came from. They are rescued by a shepherd. Paris wants Tahr to go to America with her, but he sends her off. Tahr goes to live with the shepherd and his family and Paris is taken to a trekking point to be transported home to her parents.