The Man Who Was Thursday

Syme, the Secretary, and de Worms go out to a garden filled with people in elaborate costumes that represent nature. At the far end of the garden is a crescent-shaped terrace with thrones. Each throne represents a different day of the week. Dr. Bull, Gogol, and the Marquis are already seated as the other three men take their places. Sunday passes in front of them and sits on the middle throne: “He was draped plainly, in a pure and terrible white, and his hair was like a silver flame on his forehead” (122).

The seven men sit silently. The revelers leave the garden, and soon the men are alone. Sunday reveals they have known each other since before the creation of the world, loved each other, and fought together. He tells them they are men of honor and have kept their secrets despite fear, pain, or opposition. The Secretary leans forward and asks, “Who and what are you?” (123). Sunday replies, “I am the Sabbath. I am the peace of God” (123).

The Secretary is angry: “If you were from the first our father and our friend, why were you also our greatest enemy?” (123). Sunday turns to the men one after the other to hear their comments. Syme says he is not angry; rather, he feels peaceful in the garden but still doesn’t understand. The Marquis, like the Secretary, doesn’t understand why Sunday was on both sides. Dr. Bull understands nothing and goes to sleep. With his head in his hands, de Worms mourns because Sunday let him stray “a little too close to hell” (124). Gogol says, “I wish I knew why I was hurt so much” (124).

As the men recount the pain, fear, and suffering they endured on their journey, a figure dressed all in black walks toward them. Syme gasps when he recognizes the figure as Lucian Gregory. Gregory announces that he is the real anarchist, the destroyer, and he declares his hatred for everyone and everything because of his great suffering: “You are the seven angels of heaven, and you have had no troubles” (125).

Syme suddenly understands all things on earth must fight each other and asks why that has to be. He says, “[…] [n]o agonies can be too great to buy the right to say […] ‘We also have suffered’” (125). He turns to Sunday and asks if Sunday has ever suffered. Sunday grows larger and larger until he fills the whole sky; everything goes black. Syme hears a distant voice say, “Can ye drink of the cup that I drink of?” (126).

Suddenly, Syme finds himself on a road next to Saffron Park, talking amiably with Gregory. He can remember Sunday’s face, but he can’t remember waking. He is very happy and feels he has some “impossible good news” (126). As Syme continues to walk down the road outside the garden, he sees Gregory’s sister, Rosamond, cutting lilacs at the side of the road.