19. Hate

Chapter Synopsis

And here’s the riveting chapter spent on airplanes. It starts out with Bella and Alice barely making their flight, and then Bella being very anxious and fidgety. There’s bouncing. Alice calls Jasper as soon as they get into the air, and Bella (“accidentally”) listens in on the whole conversation. Alice tells Jasper Edward hasn’t made up his mind yet, and also orders him (and the rest of the family) not to follow her. She thinks Bella will be their only hope.

Once Alice gets off the phone, she explains everything to Bella. The Cullens could never sneak up on Edward (since he has those sweet mind powers), so Bella is necessary. And Alice also doesn’t want to put the rest of the family in danger. She knows that, if Emmett and Jasper and the rest were there, and Edward died, they would fight the Volturi. And lose.

We then learn more about vampires and the Volturi, and a dude on the plane wearing a “power tie” (WTF?) tries to eavesdrop on the conversation. Alice explains that the Volturi are a very old, powerful family. They’re like the Cullens in that the group of them coexist peacefully together (this is weird for vamps), and they also have neat powers. But the Volturi recruit only the best for their guard, which is why they’re so “formidable.” The duty of the Volturi, we learn, is to make sure the existence of vampires stays a secret. And they’re very good at what they do. Which is why it will be such a big, bad deal if Edward “exposes” himself in their city.

Bella starts pulling the whole, “If I can’t save Eddie, I want to die” card, and Alice basically tells her to knock it off, otherwise she’s turning this car around right now, missy. Alice spends the rest of the flight to New York trying to see the future, and Bella tries not to think about things.

They run to catch their connecting flight (probably because SMeyer has never been to an airport in NY, and didn’t want to bother writing about it), and are soon on their way to Italy. Bella wonders how this newest adventure will affect the people she loves back in Forks. Then she falls asleep for a bit.

Alice wakes her up, because new things have developed. Edward has asked the Volturi to destroy him, but they’ve decided to tell him no. It would be “wasteful.” Bella and Alice then talk a bit about Alice’s visions, and the subject of Bella becoming a bloodsucker comes up again. Alice says it’s just gotten silly, and admits to thinking about changing Bella herself. This excites Bella to no end, and she begs Alice to do it right then — 30,000 feet up in the air on a trans-Atlantic flight. You’re such a winner, Bella. Alice, of course, tells her no. They have more pressing matters to tend to.

Before the end of the flight, Alice has another vision — the Volturi have told Edward no, and he’s made up his mind: he’s going to go to a crowded square, walk out into the sunlight, and show of his bedazzled skin. (Yes, that’s right — he’s going to try to invoke death by public sparkling.) They may not make it in time!!!!!!!!!!!!

The plane finally lands, and Alice steals a bright yellow Porsche in order to get to Volterra in a speedy and stylish fashion. She’s seen a little more, too — there’s currently a festival going on in the city. It’s St. Marcus Day. This is ironic, because “St. Marcus” was supposedly responsible for ridding Volterra of vampires 1500 years ago. But he’s really one of the Volturi. Tricksy vampires.

Alice and Bella speed toward Volterra, the sun gets higher and higher in the sky, and Bella bites her lip a lot in worry.

Best Worst Lines

“He’ll throw a Buick through a wall or something, and the Volturi will take him down.”

“‘It gives their guard something to do when they’re not out annihilating mavericks.'”   (Can they also see Russia from Volterra?)

“It was amazingly easy to say his name now. I wasn’t sure what the difference was. Maybe because I wasn’t really planning on living much longer without seeing him. Or at all, if we were too late.” (431)   (So emooo.)

“‘You don’t get a lot of suicidal vampires.'” (431)   (Too bad.)

“I fought back against the pain. This was the price I had to pay to save his life. I would pay it.” (432)

“Alice beamed at up at him, her smile shockingly lovely. The attendant’s expression was dazed as he turned and stumbled his way back.”   (BOOM. Dazzled.)

“‘You have too much faith in me, Bella. I’m not sure that I can. I’ll probably just end up killing you.’

‘I’ll take my chances.’

‘You are so bizarre, even for a human.’

‘Thanks.” (437)   (This is not a compliment, dumbass.)

“I wouldn’t let him be distracted. Maybe, when I was beautiful and strong, he wouldn’t want distractions.”

“The image of Edward in the meadow — glowing, shimmering like his skin was made of a million diamond facets — was burned into my memory. No human who saw that would ever forget.” (438)   (She’s right. We will never forget Edward and his bedazzled disco stick.)

“The pilot came on over the intercom, announcing, first in French and then in English, our imminent landing.”   (Why, if they are flying from New York to ITALY would the pilot be speaking in French?)

“I looked away, fighting against my teeth as they tried to break through the skin of my lower lip. Bleeding was not the best idea right now.”   (Bleed. BLEEEEED.)

“‘Try not to trip,’ she added. ‘We don’t have time for a concussion today.’

I groaned. That would be just like me — ruin everything, destroy the world, in a moment of klutziness.” (441)

Things That Really Irk Us

We’ll say it again: Bella is dumb.

Bella is totally planning to die if she can’t save Edward. HOW IS THIS HEALTHY? She is NOT a good role model.

The fact that, of all the things he could do to piss of the Volturi, Edward’s going to SPARKLE? Really?!?! I feel like that would be the easiest thing to brush off. “Oh, he’s just gay and wears a lot of body glitter.” Uggghhh.

Final Thoughts

Yet again, we are hopeful that this could be the end. But, yet again, there’s far too much saga left to go. So we’re willing to put money on both Bella and Edward surviving this one.

Go to Chapter 20.