The Moon Pool · Chapter
XXXV: “Larry—Farewell!” explained
In the aftermath of the great battle, Goodwin and the others find the bodies of Throckmartin and Edith locked in each other's arms, and bury them beside Olaf.
What happens
In the aftermath of the great battle, Goodwin and the others find the bodies of Throckmartin and Edith locked in each other's arms, and bury them beside Olaf. The ladala have risen and slaughtered most of the rulers of Lara, while the Shining One's lair is sealed. Goodwin, Larry, and Lakla visit the ruined temple, then on the bridge back Marakinoff ambushes Goodwin, dragging him into the racing underground stream. Goodwin survives, washes up on an islet of Nan-Matal, and later finds the moon door destroyed by a cataclysm, leaving no way back to Larry and Lakla.
Free preview opens on this chapter — companions, themes, and character notes appear beside the text.
Narrative arc
Story tension across the book — this chapter sits in Falling action.
- Setup
- Escalation
- Breaking point
- Aftermath
- Closing
This is the story's dramatic climax because it presents the emotional and psychological peak of Larry O’Keefe’…
Full beat labels and climax notes unlock in the reader.
Follow the arc while readingThemes in this chapter
- Love and Loyalty
Throckmartin and Edith die locked in each other's arms; Lakla and Larry's bond is emphasized; love is described as stronger than the Shining One.
- Sacrifice and Redemption
The ladala sacrifice themselves in the uprising; Throckmartin and Edith find peace in death; Goodwin's ordeal ends with loss and acceptance.
- Lost Civilizations and Ancient Wisdom
The destruction of the Shining One's lair and the moon door seals off the ancient world of Muria; the ruins of Nan-Matal are the only remnant.
Characters to notice
- Dr. Walter T. Goodwin
Narrator; searches for Throckmartin and Edith, examines David's body, later attacked by Marakinoff and swept away; survives and finds the moon door destroyed.
- Lakla
Handmaiden; weeps over Throckmartin and Edith, insists on going to Lugur's palace, blushes at Larry's mention of home.
- Larry O'Keefe
Helps search for Throckmartin; shows affection for Lakla; races to save Goodwin from Marakinoff but is too late.
- Yolara
Not directly present; her men are slaughtered by ladala; her palace is avoided by Lakla.
- Rador
Wounded and carried in a litter after the battle.
- Marakinoff
Ambushes Goodwin on the bridge, attacks him, and both fall into the torrent; later found dead on the shore.
Key passages
“Love is stronger than all things. Love never left them. Love was stronger than the Shining One. And when its evil fled, love went with them—wherever souls go.”
Lakla declares that love triumphs over the Shining One's power, and that Throckmartin and Edith's love accompanied them into death.
Expresses the chapter's central theme of love's endurance.
“I am finished—Done! I don't care what they'll do to me.”
Marakinoff surrenders, claiming he is defeated and indifferent to his fate.
Shows Marakinoff's desperation before his final attack.
“The moon door was gone; the passage to the Moon Pool was closed to me—its chamber covered by the sea! There was no road to Larry—nor to Lakla! And there, for me, the world ended.”
Goodwin discovers the moon door destroyed by a cataclysm, sealing off the underground realm and leaving him stranded.
Closes the chapter with Goodwin's despair and the finality of separation.
