Greenmantle · Chapters

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Chapter companions for Greenmantle by John Buchan.

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Chapter 1
Dedication
The author dedicates the tale to Caroline Grosvenor, explaining that it was written in odd moments during an active year and that the war has made even the most improbable events seem realistic. He notes that the characters are based on real people: Sandy, Richard Hannay, John S. Blenkiron, and Peter Pienaar, each now engaged in war-related roles.
Chapter 2
Greenmantle
Hannay, Blenkiron, and Sandy reunite in Constantinople and learn of the mysterious figure Greenmantle, a prophet who could rally the Muslim world for Germany. They journey to Erzerum, where they encounter the dangerous Hilda von Einem and face a final battle at the Castrol, culminating in a Russian breakthrough and victory.
Chapter 3
A Mission Is Proposed
Major Richard Hannay, convalescing after the Battle of Loos, is summoned to London by Sir Walter Bullivant of the Foreign Office. Sir Walter reveals a German plot to incite a Muslim holy war by sending a mysterious 'star' or revelation from the West to the East. Despite Hannay's protests that he lacks the necessary experience, Sir Walter insists he is the right man for the dangerous mission to uncover the secret. Hannay ultimately accepts, and Sir Walter gives him a cryptic clue—three words: 'Kasredin,' 'cancer,' and 'v. I'—the last remnant from Sir Walter's son, Harry Bullivant, who died obtaining it.
Chapter 4
The Gathering of the Missionaries
Hannay meets the American John S. Blenkiron, a self-described 'benevolent neutral' who is eager to help the Allied cause despite official American neutrality. Blenkiron outlines his plan to travel through Germany openly, posing as a converted sympathizer. Hannay also recruits Sandy Arbuthnot, a seasoned Eastern traveler, for the mission. The three men agree to meet in Constantinople on January 17th, each taking a different route to uncover Germany's secret plan.
Chapter 5
Peter Pienaar
Hannay recounts the departure of his fellow agents, Sandy and Blenkiron, and his own journey to Lisbon under the alias Cornelis Brandt. There he reunites with his old friend Peter Pienaar, a seasoned hunter and former Boer scout. Together they fabricate a cover story of being pro-German Boer desperadoes, testing their act in a Lisbon café and attracting the attention of a German agent. Hannay then briefs Peter on the true mission, and Peter shares his own harrowing recent experiences in German South West Africa.

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Dedication

Greenmantle

A Mission Is Proposed

The Gathering of the Missionaries

Peter Pienaar