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Lawman
Billy is the younger brother of Vernon and a hog drover whom Culla Holme encounters on the road. After the hogs panic and stampede, carrying Vernon over a cliff to his death, Billy insists that Holme is responsible and that he pay with his own life. The parson encourages Billy to seek justice through the legal system and a hanging rather than throwing Holme over the cliff himself in retribution.
Billy Quotes in Outer Dark
The Outer Dark quotes below are all either spoken by Billy or refer to Billy. For each quote, you can also see the other characters and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
).
20. Pages 213-227 Quotes
Well neighbor, I says, I believe ye ort. He gives ye eyes to see and then he tuck em away. And maybe you never was much of a christian to start with and he figgered this’d bring ye round. They’s been more than one feller brought to the love of Jesus over the paths of affliction. And what better way than blind? In a world darksome as this’n I believe a blind man ort to be better sighted than most. […] The grace of God don’t rest easy on a man. It can blind him easy as not. It can bend him and make him crooked. And who did Jesus love, friends? The lame the halt and the blind that’s who. Them is the one scarred with God’s mercy. Stricken with his love. Ever legless fool and old blind mess like you is a flower in the garden of God. Amen.
Related Characters:
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Explanation and Analysis:
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Billy Character Timeline in Outer Dark
The timeline below shows where the character Billy appears in Outer Dark. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
20. Pages 213-227
...him wonder whether mulefoot hogs are hogs or not. Vernon points out his younger brother, Billy, among the drovers. It’s Billy’s first hog drive, he says, and their mother is concerned...
(full context)
...ridge, and the dust has settled, Holme descends from the rock and approaches the drovers. Billy is in shock over Vernon’s death, and he wonders aloud what he will tell their...
(full context)
...to hang Holme, even if he’s guilty, and even if he’s full of the devil. Billy suggests they throw him off the bluff so he can die the same way Vernon...
(full context)
