Scorpia Rising - Chapter 2: Measure of Pain

This is the first book in this series in which Horowitz has really strayed from the normal structure. This is the first time that the second chapter in a row is not about Alex, and indeed the first eight or so chapters will not be: it says in the contents that this is 'Part 1: Scorpia' and the next will be 'Part 2: Alex'. I wonder why Horowitz has done it like this. I suppose he had a lot of back story which he needed to convey for this story to work, and rather than interject them at different points in the story like usual, he's going to bunch them together. The question is, will this all take place before Alex's part starts or will they overlap? The latter might be quite interesting, though I don't know how exactly he'd do it. It's interesting to find out more about Scorpia and into the minds of those who control it. I can only assume this will come in highly important in the coming events...

Before I get into what happens in this chapter, I just want to talk about the synopsis - if you can call it that. It has got me thinking a lot. This is what it says:

Alex Rider wants his life back. But when you're the world's most successful spy, there's only one way out. Alex's final mission will be the deadliest of all.

One bullet. One life. The end starts here.

Ok, great, that really makes Alex's situation sound promising doesn't it? Let's break it down shall we?

• "Alex Rider wants his life back" - sooo maybe he really is being left alone by MI6 but the damage done by his previous missions is taking their toll and he can't cope well in the normal world. That would be heartbreaking, because all he ever wanted was to be a normal school boy.
• "...there's only one way out" - well that just sounds like death doesn't it? How else can that be interpreted?? Unless it's kill every enemy he's EVER made! Which brings us to the next point...
• "One bullet. One life. The end starts here" - aside from that being the coolest line in the history of everything except Harry Potter (because, let's face it, Harry Potter is on another level to everything else) - this sounds INCREDIBLY ominous. I mean, "One bullet" - is that a bullet to kill Alex or a bullet for Alex to kill with? "One life" - Alex's, or someone else's?

This brings up the interesting topic of whether Alex will actually be able to kill. We went through it in Scorpia and at that point therewas no real way he could kill. Now though, he has been through so much more, seen horrors most of us can't even imagine, and has been damaged maybe beyond repair. Has he changed enough to be able to kill? I wonder what that would mean for the series? He started off as a boy who's uncle had just died, and will he really end up a killer? Not to mention the message Horowitz is sending to his readers. Of course, he wouldn't be making murder ok, but he'd be turning their hero, the one who always stands up for what he believes in and saves the world rather than turn over and ignore everything, into a cold killer. He'd be turning him into Alan Blunt. And I don't know who could recover from that.



Moving into chapter two then. This chapter tells us about Razim, the man who has been assigned the project of taking the Elgin Marbles from England, and it is clear instantly that there is something seriously wrong with him. Born in Iraq he knew he was different from a young age, as his terrible tantrums and violent attacks drove three Nannys away. He soon realised that he was different because he felt absolutely no emotion. To test this, he strangled his dog.

This is an eight year old child.



That is just wrong.

So he does amazingly at school, but then Saddam Hussein takes over and his parents host a secret meeting to decide how to get rid of him. Razim records the meeting. He hands it over to the police. They shoot his parents.


This is some seriously twisted stuff here, probably far worse than Horowitz has ever gone before.

When Razim is being thanked by the police chief it is noted that, "he had the face of waxwork, eyes that could have been made out of glass. There was no warmth or curiosity. There was nothing at all." He is sent to a foster family and does well in everything, goes to university and then gets asked to join Iraq's terrifying secret service. Following comes a slowly expanding picture of this man and his hideous rise to power. He has allegiance with no one, cares for nothing and is completely and utterly ruthless. I think I can safely say that he could be Alex's most dangerous enemy, one that he might not even escape from.

Some men have found it difficult to comprehend fighting a teenage boy, but I am 100% sure that Razim wouldn't hesitate to kill a baby, and therefore I'm taking what the synopsis says as completely true: this really does seem like it will be Alex's deadliest mission yet.

But oh, wait, don't worry, Horowitz is not finished - he's just preparing to write something that will no doubt give me nightmares for years to come.

We go back to the present-day Razim, a man hidden away from his enemies in a desert fort, hiding a terrible secret. In a room which used to be a chapel he has some kind of lab with computers and scientific equipment. In the middle of the room is a man strapped to a chair. This man, we are told, is a French spy who came a step too close to finding out where Razim is hiding. Razim explains to the man that he's always wanted to invent something. He says that there is a measurement for nearly everything: temperature, pressure, weight, watts etc; and he has realised that there is no measurement for pain.

Oh great.

The thing is, everyone reacts differently to pain because everyone is slightly different, but wouldn't it be much easier if you could go to a doctor and give them a specific amount of pain you're experiencing so they can help you better?  But of course, Razim needs to do tests. And that's what he's going to do on this poor man. As he's getting his tools ready he thinks how he really should test this on a woman to make sure he doesn't leav anything out. And of course, if one comes his way, a teenager.

Crap.