Cue for Treason

“[I]t’s no good crying over spilt milk, and perhaps it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.”

This passage is indicative of Peter’s retrospective narration that reveals hindsight. Though Peter’s words foreshadow immediate danger, they also promise a happy ending building intrigue. This helps Trease create excitement that is not distressing, catering to younger readers. This quote also adds to Trease’s introduction of Peter’s personality through this first section: The “spilt milk” shows his youth, sense of humor, and stoic approach to life. These qualities foreshadow his heroic deeds later in the book.

“The walls my grandad built under Blencathra will be standing long after I’m dead and gone.”

Trease embeds his story into the setting of Cumberland—modern-day Cumbria— through this description of a dry stone wall—a wall built with loose stones that are characteristic of Northern England. Peter’s appreciation of this skill reflects regional pride and the importance of his home to him, and his emphasis on the durability of the wall shows the long-lasting connection he feels to the landscape. This passage emphasizes the local community’s interaction with the land, embedded with tradition and understanding passed through the generations.

“I’d always wanted to see the outside world, I’d always wanted adventure, and now I was going to get it with a vengeance.”

Trease raises suspense at the end of his second chapter by showing that the novel’s main action will follow. His reference to adventure travel reveals that Peter is an adventurous, curious protagonist. This is essential to the book as an adventure story, incorporating a hero’s journey or quest. Trease also mixes tension and optimism with the wry retrospective phrase “with a vengeance.” 

“As the twilight gathered, the dead place seemed to come alive. The crags seemed to move.”

Trease’s personification of the Cumbrian landscape foreshadows its significant role in the book: This introduces its active part in the plot throughout, in particular hindering and then helping Peter in Chapter 18 as he seeks to escape. Trease uses pathetic fallacy to build tension as the gathering darkness symbolizes the growing danger surrounding Peter. The imagery of death and of the sharp crags heightens the sense of physical jeopardy, and the simile of them seeming alive suggests they are unpredictable, anticipating the twists Peter’s adventures will take.

“Safety? It seemed so, in that warm circle of fire-glow. But I couldn’t help wondering […] it was as though someone was watching us secretly, outside the circle of the fire.”

Through the image of a warm fire, Trease shows the safety and community that the theater troupe has offered Peter: The shape of the circle suggests sociability and a contained, secure space, whilst warmth often symbolizes comfort and physical well-being. Peter’s awareness of a possible threat lurking beyond their fire also reflects the danger that still exists in the broader world; his awareness of being watched builds anticipation before the watcher is revealed as Kit. This passage is an example of how Trease maintains an exciting pace through constant occurrences of mysteries and obstacles for his protagonists.

“Kirkstone isn’t a surname; it’s the name of a pass between the mountains, over the Patterdale.”

This passage is the point where Peter reveals to Desmond that Kit’s surname is an alias. Peter’s challenge of Kit’s name builds mystery around her true character, maintaining the book’s constant tone of adventure and promise of reveals. His revelation to Desmond reflects his insecurity in this moment: Normally generous-spirited, he is afraid that the presence of another Cumbrian boy will increase the risk of his discovery. Kit’s choice of pseudonym reflects her background: She names herself after a feature in the mountains, showing her knowledge of the area, and symbolizing that, like Peter, she is shaped by her roots in the mountainous landscape.

“We all sat round a doleful little fire at the inn, and the smoke kept eddying back into our faces, choking us.”

The image of the fire reflects the community and security of the theater troupe; however, this one is “doleful” and “little,” showing that these things are fading as the company’s fortune fades and it waits to disband. The smoke blowing in their faces symbolizes the insecurity of the theatrical life, especially its seasonal nature and the uncertainties of weather and audience reception. This references Peter’s discussion of these challenges earlier on the same page. The scene reflects the fearful, somber mood of the troupe, who will be out of work, and foreshadows a difficult winter ahead.

“This man had admitted that he was only a minor actor, and I couldn’t see how much it would help us even if he liked our reading.”

Trease builds up to the comedic reveal in the next paragraph that this unassuming man is Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s modesty also makes him a likeable and trustworthy character. This passage also explores appearances and first impressions, and Peter’s assessment of the situation mirrors his obliviousness to Kit’s real identity: Trease suggests that Peter is not always good at seeing past initial appearance. He also shows the hopelessness Peter feels at this point: Usually optimistic, he is pessimistic about this kind stranger’s ability to help them.

“As the afternoon wore on, and the spectators lost their original disappointment and grew more friendly, I began to forget my danger and play, as a good actor should, for the whole audience. At my second exit there was a real round of applause, which warmed me as a glass of wine would have done.”

Trease shows the transformative, affirming power of theater both for audiences and participants. Despite the audience’s disappointment at seeing Peter rather than Kit, his performance wins them over. Trease shows that theater can represent a powerful connection between human beings: The connection that grows between Peter and his audience is strong enough that he forgets his troubles, gaining mutual pleasure and confidence from the audience. The glass of wine is a historical reference, as it would have been normal at the time for 14-year-old Peter to drink alcohol.

“I want a river; the Thames isn’t a river here; it’s a street and a sewer and a cemetery!”

Through Shakespeare’s words, Trease uses the frequently recurring symbol of a river to show the distance of his rural characters from their homelands. The Thames represents the contrast between town and country. Shakespeare’s homesickness for the countryside parallels Peter’s and develops their bond. The description also adds to the historical portrayal of Elizabethan London as a bustling, overcrowded, and dirty place, full of life and therefore of death.

“[I]t would take me a minute of two to get outside pistol range. Better to disarm suspicion…I knew that the boat showed only dimly from the window above, and that I myself was visible only as a vague shape. That shape might just as well be two as people huddled close as one.”

Trease creates tension, highlighting that Peter is in imminent physical danger for the first time since the inciting incident of Chapter 1, raising the stakes: He is stuck within range of a pistol. The gathering gloom foreshadows the murky underworld of spies and conspiracy that this escapade will draw him into. Trease shows Peter’s quick, resourceful thinking as he realizes that this gloom allows him to use his newly honed acting skills to create a cover. The use of the word “disarm” for Peter’s playacting reflects that Peter counters the weapons of the antagonists with his ingenuity, bravery, and quick thinking, getting himself out of trouble without resorting to violence.

“I sent it to my cousin Francis. He has his uses. He has the knack of these things.”

Trease develops the character of Robert Cecil, Elizabeth I’s real spymaster. Trease gives this character a cold, calculating edge, showing that he sees his own cousin as a useful tool. Francis is based on the real figure of Sir Francis Bacon; the idea that there was rivalry between him and Cecil is popular among historians, which Trease leans into in this scene. Whereas Cecil was primarily a statesman working in government, Francis Bacon was a polymath interested in intellectual pursuits but was also a talented decoder. This passage speaks to the hierarchical nature of power and knowledge, controlled by a small network of noblemen.

“We touched the fringe of Sherwood Forest, I remember, and slept a night on the close-cropped greensward under the great oaks which must have stood there since Robin’s day.”

Trease incorporates the rich English folklore tradition, and its connection of landscape, people, and history. Here he references the myth of Robin Hood of Sherwood Forest, whose mythological ethos fits with Peter’s own: the protection of the rights and lives of ordinary people against greedy nobility, supported by a close relationship to the natural environment. Trease explicitly references the retrospective nature of Peter’s narration with the phrase “I remember.” The passage creates a sense of nostalgia for the forests and ancient myths of England and implies that Peter embodies ancient English cultural values.

“Before us spread the Vale of Eden, wide, green, and gracious […] the green and gold of the sunny land.”

Trease paints an idyllic picture of Peter’s homeland and the happiness of his return by showing it in the sunshine and using the colors green and gold, associated with nature, beauty, tranquility, and richness. The word “wide” suggests an expansive sense of freedom. The metaphor “Eden” explicitly calls the land a paradise and a safe haven and alludes to the biblical loss of Eden: Peter’s flight in Chapter 2 represents a loss of innocence, significant to his coming-of-age story.

“The peel loomed above us […] the old fortress waited for us in the dawn as if we were its first visitors for centuries.”

Peter’s description of the peel tower’s physically imposing nature builds a foreboding atmosphere. The sinister personification of it as waiting for their group suggests that something will happen. Trease also emphasizes the long history of these fortifications, as the fortress has been standing “for centuries,” drawing on the threat of violence that had historically lingered in the area, adding to the anticipation of danger.

“The high politics behind all this I couldn’t pretend to grasp. I couldn’t tell from their talk even whom they meant to set upon the throne of England. But one thing I realized without any telling: Sir Philip Morton and his friends were going to be the big men in the new order.”

Through Peter’s disinterest and unfamiliarity with complex politics or the potential lines of succession, Trease avoids extraneous exposition that would slow down the pace in this climactic, dangerous scene for his protagonist. Instead, he outlines the conspiracy in broad brushstrokes through Peter’s eyes, showing only that the conspirators seek increased power and influence. This passage is an example of how Peter’s narrative voice helps to guide the young reader through the motivations and actions of the adult characters.

“[T]here was a loud clap of thunder, and a great wind came rushing down the lake, driving rain before it as sharp as pike-points, and churning the water into waves like the sea.”

Trease introduces the storm abruptly, using the stormy imagery to reflect Peter’s danger. The passage juxtaposes Peter’s vulnerability with scale of the natural environment of the Lake District: The word “great” and the comparison of the waves to the sea shows their size and unpredictability. The use of “pike-points” as a simile for the rain uses the recurring motif of weaponry to indicate danger: It shows both the peril of the storm itself, which would kill Peter if he ventured into the lake, and the hazardous situation the storm has placed him in, trapping him with his captor.

“These last months had made a man of me, perhaps a little before my time, and man-like, I had to stand on my own feet […] Kit, I knew, would send the news if I couldn’t.”

Peter explicitly identifies his adventures in Cue for Treason as his coming-of-age story, stating that he has grown up fast. His acknowledgement that this might be “before my time” highlights that he is just a child at the start of the book. Peter associates responsibility with manhood and masculinity, reflecting Elizabethan social structures. Trease shows that gendered ideas about leadership, proactiveness, and bravery are embedded into Peter’s language. Peter’s respect for Kit and his reliance on her challenges these gendered assumptions, however, and presents them as equal partners.

“‘The old longbow’s a sight better than any musket,’ said my father, who was conservative in many ways and could never see that gunpowder had been a useful addition to life.”

Trease uses the recurring motif of weaponry to highlight the physical danger the family is in, as they discuss how to defend themselves. This passage also draws closely on historical detail: The longbow had been a dominant weapon in the middle ages and English and Welsh archers were particularly renowned. The book’s central Shakespeare play Henry V uses the skill and courage of British longbowmen at the Battle of Agincourt as a symbol of national pride and victory. Families like Peter’s, especially near the border, would have trained their boys to use this weapon from a young age. Firearms were still limited and dangerous to the user: Bows relied on skill but were more accurate and had greater range. Peter acknowledges the effectiveness of a longbow in Chapter 18, noting he is out of range of his pursuers’ guns, but wouldn’t be if they had a bow.

“It was hard to realize that, to him, Peter Brownrigg was just one of the bigger boys who’d left school rather suddenly and disgracefully the year before. He’d never heard of Peter Brownrigg the actor or Peter Brownrigg the Secret Agent!”

Trease uses the character of Peter’s old school teacher to illustrate the speed of his coming-of-age journey. The teacher’s attempts to stop Peter on the road, completely unaware of the context of his mission, offer a reminder that Peter was just a child at the start of the book but is now trying to save the whole country. Trease highlights Pater’s newfound confidence in his new identities and purpose as an actor and a secret agent.

“A sinister spot […] I sometimes wondered afterwards if Shakespeare thought of it, as we had pictured it to him when he wrote of that heath in Macbeth. It wouldn’t have surprised me at all if we had met three witches.”

Trease builds a sense of foreboding by describing the “sinister” moor, and Peter’s sensation that a threatening entity like a witch might emerge, foreshadowing their ambush later in the chapter. Trease references Shakespeare to show how his plays related to people’s real experiences and fears: Witches were considered a genuine and menacing phenomenon in this period, and witchcraft and the supernatural were often associated with frightening or dangerous places. This play also deals with the murder of a monarch, so has echoes of the conspirators’ plot, offering a reminder of the stakes of their mission.

“You don’t need cord. You’re actors. You mime it. You show that you’re tied by your faces and the way you wriggle your shoulders, not by a length of hemp.”

Trease shows Desmond’s belief in the power of theater, and that this power comes from human communication and story-telling rather than from spectacle, so can be achieved even with limited resources. Desmond’s words are vindicated by the success of his plan. This quotation also reflects those with limited power and resources can use their skills and wits to thwart tyrannical adversaries.

“Well answered, Miss Impudence. Though, God help me, it’s a far cry since the day at Tilbury when I said that […] but it won’t do as a general thing, you know.”

Queen Elizabeth I acknowledges the parallels between her and Kit as she reminisces about the famous battle at Tilbury that Kit invokes as inspiration. Both characters defy the period’s gender expectations and structures, taking on traditionally masculine roles and showing their strength and skill. With her humorous mode of address, Elizabeth shows an amused respect for Kit’s boldness. In her acceptance of Kit’s answer, she sympathizes with her dressing as a boy but imposes limitations on this transgression, reflecting that she herself has maintained her own status through a fine balance of challenging and conforming to social rules.