The Mysterious Benedict Society: Chapter 26 Summary & Analysis

Reynie wakes up from a nightmare to Jackson, who has come to bring him and Sticky to something called “the Whisperer.” Sticky points out that they will miss class, but Jackson says that the Whisperer is the reason for the classes, and for the Institute as a whole. He tells the boys that they are not allowed to know the way to the Whispering Gallery, so he blindfolds them and leads them onward. Reynie hears a sound as if Jackson is kicking something, and then they enter a staircase that winds up so high Reynie concludes they must be heading for the top of the flag tower.

Mr. Curtain is waiting for Sticky and Reynie in the Whispering Gallery. Once inside, they remove their blindfolds and discover that the Whisperer is a large metal armchair affixed with two helmets, one blue and one red. Reynie recalls Kate saying that something important is behind the highest window, as he knows now that she was right. Besides the Whisperer, the room is mostly empty, which Mr. Curtain explains is so that he can totally control the Whispering Gallery. He emphasizes the security of the project, and adds that the Whispering Gallery has one door, and Mr. Curtain has the only key.

Mr. Curtain boasts that despite its simple appearance, the Whisperer is an incredible invention. He explains that he built it using his own brain as a model, which allows him to control the machine with only his mind. It is capable of both transmitting and perceiving thoughts. The only limitation is that Mr. Curtain must be connected physically to the Whisperer, but he plans for modifications that will allow him to “bring peace” to millions of “troubled souls.” He continues to explain that the Whisperer requires the assistance of unsophisticated minds, since its mental processes are not as complex as Mr. Curtain’s. When a Messenger sits in the seat, the Whisperer directs them to think certain phrases, so that Messengers essentially filter Mr. Curtain’s thoughts through to the Whisperer’s processors. Reynie recognizes this as a lie. He realizes that the Messengers don’t know their thoughts are transmitted to others.

Mr. Curtain holds up a package and asks the boys how many items he is holding. Reynie guesses that there is something inside the box, but he knows Mr. Curtain is looking to surprise them, so Reynie and Sticky say that he is holding one item. Mr. Curtain triumphantly upturns the box, spilling hundreds of pieces of paper, and explains that one package may hold many things. Similarly, one phrase can contain many thoughts. The boys understand that Mr. Benedict’s Receiver only detects the phrases, not the underlying information within them.

Mr. Curtain tells Reynie to take his turn in the Whisperer first, after which Sticky will have a turn. Reynie hesitates, afraid that the Whisperer will reveal him as a spy, but finally he sits down in the chair. A voice speaks to him; it is neither his voice nor Mr. Curtain’s, but the neutral voice of the Whisperer. The Whisperer asks Reynie his name. Reynie debates how to proceed, but the Whisperer picks his name from his thoughts before he can consciously answer the question. The Whisperer asks what Reynie fears most, and he tries to lie, but the Whisperer senses the truth. It reassures Reynie that he is not alone, which overwhelms Reynie with feelings of pleasure and peace. He realizes this must be why Messengers love their special privileges––the Whisperer rewards good behavior by soothing fears. This is so effective that Reynie finds he wants to give into the Whisperer.

Before he gives in entirely to the Whisperer, Reynie tries to determine if Mr. Curtain can hear his thoughts through the device. It doesn’t seem like he can, so Reynie begins the process. When he regains consciousness, he finds that he was in the Whisperer for two hours. Sticky quietly asks Reynie if the process hurts. Reynie reassures Sticky it doesn’t, and then repeats himself louder when Mr. Curtain calls that he “dislikes all secrets save [his] own.” Mr. Curtain is impressed that Reynie lasted two hours in the machine, since most Messengers lose their concentration after 30 minutes. Reynie rises from the seat, but the Whisperer’s phrases echo in his head, and he wants to sit back down and begin again. He tries to shake himself free of this desire.

Sticky nervously takes his turn with the Whisperer. He unknowingly answers its questions aloud, which lets Reynie hear Sticky’s half of the conversation. Sticky tells the machine that his name is “Sticky,” but after a pause he changes his answer to “George,” apparently at the Whisperer’s request. When the Whisperer asks Sticky’s greatest fear, Reynie hears the reply: “Not being wanted. Not being wanted at all.”