69 pages • 2 hours read
Andrzej SapkowskiSword of Destiny
Fiction | Short Story Collection | Adult | Published in 1992A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Part 3Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Part 3: “Eternal Flame”
Part 3, Chapter 1 Summary
Geralt arrives in Novigrad to upgrade his gear. While exploring the town, he stumbles upon a heated altercation in which a woman named Vespula hurls insults and household items at her ex-fiancé, Dandelion. Seeking respite, Geralt and Dandelion head to a nearby inn. Dandelion strums his lute and extols the virtues of Novigrad. Geralt dismisses Dandelion’s inquiries about Yennefer, indicating the end of their romantic entanglement. Entering a tavern with empty pockets, Geralt and Dandelion meet the halfling merchant, Dainty Biberveldt, and Dandelion coerces Dainty into covering their meal. Suddenly, another Dainty, angry and much-disheveled, storms in and begins an altercation. Realizing that the clean Dainty is an imposter, Geralt restrains him with silver chains, and the creature melts into something resembling misshapen dough. The creature is a doppler named Tellico Lunngrevink Letorte (or Dudu for short). Tellico previously knocked out the real Dainty, stole his goods, and impersonated the merchant for several days in Novigrad.
As the innkeeper contemplates involving the town guards and the temple, Dainty protests, revealing that Tellico has stolen and sold a dozen horses. The prospect of gruesome punishment and an inability to recoup his losses deters Dainty from seeking official intervention. Tellico justifies his actions, confessing to the lucrative sale of the horses and the merits of his reinvestment in seemingly worthless commodities. The innkeeper and Dainty press Geralt to kill the doppler, but Geralt argues that dopplers are intelligent creatures, not monsters. An interruption by the innkeeper’s daughter prompts the group to agree on a solution: Tellico must once again mimic Dainty to avoid detection.
Frustrated by the lack of discernment between the doppler and himself, Dainty learns from Geralt that dopplers mimic not just appearance but also the essence of another. Tellico, in essence, mirrors Dainty’s entire being, down to his memories and personality. Suddenly, a man named Mr. Schwann interrupts and asks for Dainty. Both Dainty and Tellico respond, leading to Tellico’s chaotic escape, with Geralt in pursuit. Mistakenly blamed for the disturbance, Geralt is halted by bar patrons, and Tellico evades capture. Schwann orders the patrons to pursue the real Dainty when he appears, adding to the confusion. Dainty and Dandelion concoct an elaborate tale, presenting Tellico as Dainty’s cousin. Uninterested in the family drama, Schwann informs Dainty of his outstanding tax debt—over 1,553 crowns from the horse profits. A stunned silence fills the tavern as Dainty resigns himself to impending incarceration.
Part 3, Chapter 2 Summary
Dainty laments his situation, burdened by the debts that Tellico has accrued in his name. He seeks Geralt’s assistance in tracking down Tellico, but the vast crowds of Novigrad prove challenging even for a witcher’s keen senses. As they sit by a fountain, Dainty wishes for someone else to pay the tax, and Geralt ironically wishes that the men now surrounding them were instead part of a misunderstanding. A menacing group of heavily armed and black-clad men approach. A diminutive figure also emerges; Dandelion identifies him as Chappelle, Novigrad’s security minister. Attempting to calm Geralt, Dandelion explains that these are temple guards and that if he attacks them, their own lives will be forfeit. Chappelle informs Geralt’s party that the innkeeper has accused them of colluding with a demon, the doppler Tellico. Chappelle dismisses the claims as ludicrous, stating that no demons can enter Novigrad due to the Eternal Fire’s protection. Chappelle declares that anyone claiming to see a doppler will be considered a heretic and imprisoned. With a magnanimous air, he offers Dandelion, Dainty, and Geralt safe passage out of Novigrad while insisting that Dainty settle his outstanding taxes before departing.
Chappelle pulls Geralt aside, posing a hypothetical question about the cost of eliminating a doppler. Geralt firmly states that he will not operate within city limits due to the high risk of collateral damage. Chappelle attempts to intimidate Geralt, but the witcher’s resolve remains unshaken. Chappelle and his guards depart, and Dandelion and Dainty are exchanging stories of Chappelle’s cruelty when another merchant, Muskrat, approaches. Dandelion instinctively recoils, wanting to flee, but Dainty recognizes the man. Muskrat expresses surprise that Dainty escaped Chappelle’s grasp. He reveals that Dainty (who was really Tellico in disguise) just made a significant profit trading cochineal. Muskrat expresses his resentment over Dainty’s failure to share this lucrative opportunity and storms off in a huff, leaving Dainty to ponder his financial situation. He decides to head to the bank to clarify his finances.
Part 3, Chapter 3 Summary
The trio goes to the bank to consult with Vimme Vivaldi, Dainty’s trusted banker friend. Vivaldi informs them that Dainty visited an hour earlier with instructions to sell a large quantity of willow bark. He then reprimands Dainty for his exorbitant asking price and questionable spending habits. Dainty now insists on selling the willow bark for a sixfold profit, unfazed by Vivaldi’s criticism. Vivaldi, puzzled, reminds Dainty of “his” previous instructions to hold out for a sevenfold increase.
Vivaldi delves into Dainty’s financial activities over the past three days. He reveals that Tellico-Dainty took out a loan, which the merchant promptly repaid. Vivaldi used Tellico-Dainty’s profits to settle the taxes and deduct his commission, leaving a substantial sum in Dainty’s accounts. Vivaldi commends Tellico-Dainty’s meticulous market research, which led to these impressive profits. Suddenly, a gnome interrupts with an offer to purchase the willow bark for over seven times what Tellico-Dainty had paid. The real Dainty now agrees to the sale, boosting his account balance past 21,000 crowns.
However, the looming threat of Chappelle quickly overshadows Dainty’s newfound financial security. Vivaldi speculates that Chappelle’s animosity stems from Dainty’s ability to anticipate market fluctuations ahead of the shrewd minister. Vivaldi also elaborates on Chappelle’s transformation following a heart attack, noting his increased rationality and honesty. Additionally, Vivaldi informs them of the planned construction of Eternal Fires across the city. A figure abruptly enters the bank, relaying a message from Merchant Biberveldt. The messenger instructs Vivaldi to purchase more pots and send Biberveldt 30 crowns, as his purse was stolen. Dainty inquires about Biberveldt’s whereabouts, and the messenger informs him that Biberveldt is at the Western Market. Another individual enters, enigmatically asking Dainty if they should start pouring. Dainty, bewildered by this cryptic question, agrees.
Part 3, Chapter 4 Summary
Dandelion, Dainty, and Geralt venture into the bustling West Market, splitting up to locate the elusive Tellico. Geralt discreetly keeps his distance from Vespula, whom he spots amidst the throng. The dense crowds grate on his nerves, and Dandelion’s lute strumming intensifies his frustration. Geralt reprimands Dandelion, but the bard remains unfazed. Suddenly, Vespula emerges, her anger palpable as she shoves through onlookers. Dandelion escapes her fury, and Dainty’s timely intervention distracts her from attacking Geralt. Dainty points Geralt toward Tellico, still disguised as Dainty, emphasizing the doppler’s escape.
Geralt gives chase, skillfully utilizing his witcher’s magic to entrap the doppler. Tellico is exasperated by Geralt’s pursuit, but Geralt explains that Tellico’s actions are causing immense trouble for Dainty. While Geralt has no intention of killing Tellico or turning him over to authorities, the doppler’s presence in Novigrad is untenable. Shifting into Geralt’s form, Tellico threatens the witcher, proclaiming Geralt is no match. Geralt counters by pointing out Tellico’s inherent good nature in refraining from killing Dainty. Tellico assumes Dandelion’s appearance and refuses to leave Novigrad. He reveals that dopplers were once numerous in Novigrad, but have been hunted to near-extinction.
Tellico-Dandelion walks away, and Geralt wishes him luck. Unfortunately, Vespula disrupts their exchange, rendering Tellico-Dandelion unconscious with a swift blow from a frying pan. Geralt swiftly wraps the weakened Tellico in a carpet to conceal his identity. Chappelle, alerted by the commotion, arrives and disperses the crowd. Geralt warns Chappelle to avoid the bundled Tellico, but the minister disregards his advice and instead commands “Dudu” to copy Dainty’s form. Dainty claims Dudu as his cousin and appoints him as his agent in Novigrad.
Curious about Chappelle’s true nature, Geralt inquires about the original minister’s fate. Chappelle, who is actually another doppler, reveals that the original Chappelle succumbed to apoplexy. Geralt agrees to keep the dopplers’ secrets. A gnome informs the group that Tellico’s seemingly worthless goods were sold to the temple to construct the Eternal Fires. Everyone applauds Tellico’s ingenuity. Grateful for Geralt’s intervention, Tellico asks how he can repay the witcher. Geralt humbly requests 22 crowns, just enough to replace his damaged coat. In a lighthearted mood, Chappelle, Dainty, Dandelion, Geralt, and Tellico decide to celebrate at a local bordello.
Part 3 Analysis
“Eternal Flame” uses the morally ambiguous dopplers to explore a more whimsical angle of The True Nature of Monstrosity. These shape-shifters, which are also known as mimics, changelings, vexlings, and fetches, are capable of adopting the form and essence of others, and because they are so apt at adopting the appearance and behavior of humans, the narrative is designed to challenge conventional ideas about monsters, blurring the line between victim and villain.
Their shapeshifting antics gain a note of desperation when the narrative reveals that dopplers faced near-extinction from human settlers who perceive them as a threat. Thus, although their impersonations create considerable hardship for those they imitate, the author strategically employs dopplers to redefine the true nature of a “monster,” and to this end, the actions of the doppler Tellico become a focal point of the narrative.
Despite Tellico’s taste for committing crimes such as assault and theft, the narrative suggests that the punishment for being a doppler is more severe than the crimes themselves, for the humans in the story are quick to label dopplers as monsters and callously advocate for their immediate extinction. True to his own moral code, however, Geralt challenges this perception by refusing to treat dopplers as monsters. His stance emphasizes his more measured and reasoning approach to the dual responsibility of killing monsters to save innocents, and determining which is which in any given scenario.
However, if morality is the rubric by which monstrosity is judged, then Tellico is certainly not innocent. He commits several crimes and displays no remorse for assaulting Dainty or impersonating him. At the same time, Tellico does not murder Dainty, even though doing so would likely ensure the doppler a lifetime of security. Instead, Tellico’s first response to conflict is to escape or to talk his way out of it, and this is a far cry from the behavior of the humans who seek to kill him simply because his abilities make them uncomfortable. The essentially benign nature of dopplers is further emphasized when the narrative reveals that the original Chappelle was infamous for making people vanish and engaging in “[f]alsified accusations, torture, assassinations, terror, blackmail and plain plunder” (159). By contrast, the doppler Chapelle is courteous, rational, composed, and honest, yet he is considered a monster. Ironically, the story implies that when the dopplers imitate humans, they surpass their originals in intelligence, ability, and moral standing. As a people, they seek only peaceful coexistence with humans, for as Tellico pleads, “You gave dwarves, halflings, gnomes, and even elves [...] the modest possibility of assimilation. Why should I be worse off? Why am I denied that right?” (176).
However, the discomfort that humans feel toward dopplers is arguably justified, as these shape-shifters challenge the very nature of identity. Dopplers not only mimic the appearance of others, but they also appropriate the thoughts of their targets, imitating their very essence. Yet despite Geralt’s assertions that dopplers copy “the mind’s properties” (147), the doppler nonetheless remains separate from the original, for Tellico retains his own knowledge and personality. This dynamic is exemplified by his financial prowess, which far exceeds Dainty’s. Similarly, when mimicking Geralt, Tellico’s essentially benign nature prevents him from killing the witcher despite the fact that he possesses all of Geralt’s strength, skills, and knowledge. Thus, while Tellico can completely replicate another person, he maintains his own sense of self, and Sapkowski therefore uses the concept of dopplers to reevaluate preconceived notions about morality, monsters, and identity. Dopplers, depicted as gentle beings seeking peaceful coexistence, are ultimately proven to be morally superior to the humans who persist in persecuting them, and the humans’ mistreatment of them suggests that the true monstrosity in Sapkowski’s world can be found in the results of human fears and insecurities.
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