Messenger: Chapter Eight Summary & Analysis

A week later, Matty receives word that it's time to pick up his puppy—it's becoming mischievous and Mentor wants it gone. He finds Jean in the garden and thinks that she looks unusually troubled. She says that Mentor wants the wild puppy to go, and Matty smiles and says that Mentor deals with all manner of wild children. He asks if Mentor is home, and Jean replies that he's visiting Stocktender's widow, which he does often now. They agree that Stocktender's widow is nice, but Jean asks if she can share something that's bothering her. Matty thinks that while he's been attracted to Jean for a long time, this is the first time he's felt like they're speaking as adults, not children. He feels like he loves her.

Jean says that it's about Mentor, and Matty says that he's changing. Jean starts crying, and says that Mentor traded away his "deepest self." This surprises Matty, and Jean explains that he traded for Stocktender's widow to love him. He's getting taller, straighter, and more handsome. This is why, Jean says, that he can't deal with the naughty puppy—he kicked the puppy yesterday, but he once loved all sorts of ragged and wild children. Matty says that this is what the petition is about too. They hear a whine from the shed and Jean lets the puppy out. It bounds to Matty immediately and Matty says he needs time to think. Jean says that there's nothing to think about—trades are forever. Matty considers telling Jean about his power, but he's not sure he can fix Mentor's soul.

Later, Matty excitedly tells Seer to look at the puppy sit on command, and then groans when he remembers that Seer can’t. Seer laughs and says he can hear the puppy sit. Matty says he's trying to come up with a name for it and hopes that he'll get his own true name soon. He says he thought of Survivor or Live-er for the puppy, and he and Seer laugh. Seer suggests that Matty ask Leader to name the puppy, since Matty will be there to pick up messages later. Matty goes to Leader's home and Leader explains that where he came from, they didn't have animals to eat or to keep as pets. He didn't know then what it was like to love and be loved. Matty blushes and asks if Leader never loved a girl. Leader considers, and says that he had a sister and wishes her well.

Matty restates his question and Leader says he started to love a girl, but they both changed. Matty then brings up Trade Mart. He says that people are getting Gaming Machines, which makes Leader make a disdainful face. Carefully, Matty says that people like Mentor are changing at Trade Mart. He says that Mentor traded his deepest self, and others are trading their deepest selves too. Leader listens intently. Later that afternoon, Matty tells Seer that Leader named the puppy Frolic. Frolic obediently sits and lies down on command to show that he knows his name.