The Ballad of Black Tom

Three days after the events of Chapter 3, Tommy travels to Robert Suydam’s mansion in Flatbush. It is after dark, and the white passengers on the train eye him suspiciously. Four different men ask him where he is going, and he gives them Suydam’s exact address. Walking through Flatbush, three teenagers follow him. When he reaches the mansion, he picks up a rock intending to throw it at them, but they have already dispersed. Suydam appears and ask for the password “Ashmodai,” then he leads Tommy into the mansion.

Inside, Tommy realizes the mansion is in disrepair. Something about the layout strikes him as odd, “As if the mansion’s interior was larger than its exterior” (41). It is musty and seems to be stuck in another time. These descriptions foreshadow the supernatural events that will occur during Tommy’s visit.

As Suydam leads Tommy down a dark hall, Tommy feels someone is following him. They arrive at a large, brightly lit library, and Suydam closes the doors behind them. He moves to the far side of the room and sits in a large throne-like chair. Tommy notes that the library is empty, and Suydam tells him that tonight is a dress rehearsal for the party the following night.