The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish - Part 1
The fourth section of Cloud Atlas begins as Timothy Cavendish, a “sixty-something” year old Essex born vanity publisher, recounts his tale and everything that led up to it. All his troubles began when he took Dermot “Duster” Hoggins, an ex-convict, under his wing as editor and publisher to his book, Knuckle Sandwich. One night at a social event, Hoggins threw the contemptuous critic Felix Finch off a balcony and to his death. The murder ignited the public’s interest in Knuckle Sandwich and Tim spent all his earnings paying off debt collectors. Caught with his guard down, Dermot's brothers demand 50,000 pounds which Timothy simply does not have. Pleading with his brother Denholme, who is a broke banker himself, Tim was running out of options. Luckily, Denholme knew a place where his brother could lay low for a while.
Armed with determination and destination, Tim begins his arduous journey. Little does he know what is in store for him. Long lines, wrong lines, dismissive tellers, argumentative citizens, threatening police officers, missing drivers, delayed trains, expired connection tickets, mechanical difficulties, a surprise hit off a Rastafarian’s dubie (which erases parts of his journey’s memory), a lost wallet, and a fall into a ditch are all ordeals Timothy must endure before he reaches the destination to which Denholme had sent him.
Only the following morning did Tim realize where his brother had sent him: a nursing home called Aurora House. Tim tried reasoning with Mrs. Judd and Nurse Noakes (who he had caught stealing from him in the early morning) but they refused to let him leave for he had signed papers the night before. After futile arguments, Tim decided enough was enough and bolted out the fire escape. He didn’t get very far before Mr. Withers, the groundsman, caught and beat him. As he ate his bland supper locked in his room, the bleak reality of his situation set in. Then suddenly imprisoned Timothy experiences “a chain of firecrackers” in his skull and says “the old world came to an abrupt end.”
Armed with determination and destination, Tim begins his arduous journey. Little does he know what is in store for him. Long lines, wrong lines, dismissive tellers, argumentative citizens, threatening police officers, missing drivers, delayed trains, expired connection tickets, mechanical difficulties, a surprise hit off a Rastafarian’s dubie (which erases parts of his journey’s memory), a lost wallet, and a fall into a ditch are all ordeals Timothy must endure before he reaches the destination to which Denholme had sent him.
Only the following morning did Tim realize where his brother had sent him: a nursing home called Aurora House. Tim tried reasoning with Mrs. Judd and Nurse Noakes (who he had caught stealing from him in the early morning) but they refused to let him leave for he had signed papers the night before. After futile arguments, Tim decided enough was enough and bolted out the fire escape. He didn’t get very far before Mr. Withers, the groundsman, caught and beat him. As he ate his bland supper locked in his room, the bleak reality of his situation set in. Then suddenly imprisoned Timothy experiences “a chain of firecrackers” in his skull and says “the old world came to an abrupt end.”
The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish - Part 2
When we last left Timothy Cavendish he had described fireworks going off in his skull. We find out our friend Tim has had a minor stroke and is weak as ever. As he recovers, he edits the first half of Half Lives: The First Luisa Rey Mystery, sent to him by Hilary V. Hush in the light of his Knuckle Sandwich success. Once well enough, Tim begins to work on another escape plan, this time with the help of his new friends Ernie Blacksmith, Veronica Costello, and Mr. Meeks. Together they lament about society’s condescending outlook toward the elderly as they observe the son of incontinent Mrs. Hotchkiss leave his keys in his car whenever he visits Aurora House.
Desperate to be free of his tortuous imprisonment, Timothy sneaks out of his room to make a phone call to his publishing assistant Mrs. Latham. Unable to remember the number, he resolves to calling his prankster brother Denholme. Georgette, Tim’s sister in law (whose name is reminiscent of Ol’ Georgie from Zachary’s story), answers the phone and seems distraught. Ignoring everything Tim tells her, she says that Denholme has died and asks why he wasn’t at his own brother’s funeral. The words barely have time to register with Cavendish before Withers discovers the escapee and disconnects the call.
After another plan which involved sending a letter failed, the friends come up with a final plan. The “high-risk sequence of toppling dominoes” began with a staged phone call to Mrs. Hotchkiss’s son, John. Posing as a doctor, Timothy tells John that his mother is on her deathbed and wishes to tell him where she hid the family jewels (which is the only reason John would visit his memory-addled mother). Next, Ernie reports that Tim has died to Nurse Noakes. As she goes to check on Tim, he rushes out the door and locks it, leaving “the huntress snarling in a prison cell of her own invention.”
Directing the money-hungry John Hotchkiss to his mother’s room, Tim, Ernie, and Veronica run out to his car. Much to their dismay the keys aren’t in the ignition but luckily Veronica finds them. Before John, his wife, and Withers can stop the determined elderly, they ram the gate and drive into the foggy night with Mr. Meeks surprisingly in the back seat.
Believing they are free and clear, the friends stop at a roadside Scottish pub where everyone is engrossed in a televised World Cup game between Scotland and England. Timothy dreadfully remembers that he left a map with their route in his room at Aurora and soon enough Noakes, Withers, and the Hotchkisses arrive. Out of nowhere, Mr. Meeks calls for help from the Scotlanders in a Scottish accent and they attack the English antagonists.
The Aurora House runaways escape yet again and this time it’s for good. Tim parts with his fellow survivors and returns to London where he meets up with Mrs. Latham. She informs him that Duster Hoggins’s brother's will no longer be a problem because she has footage of them trashing the publishing office. Tim plans to get his "ghastly ordeal" turned into a movie and is delighted to discover that Hillary V. Hush has sent him the second half of Luisa Rey’s story.
Desperate to be free of his tortuous imprisonment, Timothy sneaks out of his room to make a phone call to his publishing assistant Mrs. Latham. Unable to remember the number, he resolves to calling his prankster brother Denholme. Georgette, Tim’s sister in law (whose name is reminiscent of Ol’ Georgie from Zachary’s story), answers the phone and seems distraught. Ignoring everything Tim tells her, she says that Denholme has died and asks why he wasn’t at his own brother’s funeral. The words barely have time to register with Cavendish before Withers discovers the escapee and disconnects the call.
After another plan which involved sending a letter failed, the friends come up with a final plan. The “high-risk sequence of toppling dominoes” began with a staged phone call to Mrs. Hotchkiss’s son, John. Posing as a doctor, Timothy tells John that his mother is on her deathbed and wishes to tell him where she hid the family jewels (which is the only reason John would visit his memory-addled mother). Next, Ernie reports that Tim has died to Nurse Noakes. As she goes to check on Tim, he rushes out the door and locks it, leaving “the huntress snarling in a prison cell of her own invention.”
Directing the money-hungry John Hotchkiss to his mother’s room, Tim, Ernie, and Veronica run out to his car. Much to their dismay the keys aren’t in the ignition but luckily Veronica finds them. Before John, his wife, and Withers can stop the determined elderly, they ram the gate and drive into the foggy night with Mr. Meeks surprisingly in the back seat.
Believing they are free and clear, the friends stop at a roadside Scottish pub where everyone is engrossed in a televised World Cup game between Scotland and England. Timothy dreadfully remembers that he left a map with their route in his room at Aurora and soon enough Noakes, Withers, and the Hotchkisses arrive. Out of nowhere, Mr. Meeks calls for help from the Scotlanders in a Scottish accent and they attack the English antagonists.
The Aurora House runaways escape yet again and this time it’s for good. Tim parts with his fellow survivors and returns to London where he meets up with Mrs. Latham. She informs him that Duster Hoggins’s brother's will no longer be a problem because she has footage of them trashing the publishing office. Tim plans to get his "ghastly ordeal" turned into a movie and is delighted to discover that Hillary V. Hush has sent him the second half of Luisa Rey’s story.