Donkerweb

Machine Translated by Google
Dark Web
Reading guide written by Hettie van Zyl
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INDEX
Section A: Pre-reading
Page
1. Introduction to the genre: novel 3
2. The background of Dark Web 3-4
3. Biography of the author: Fanie Viljoen 4-5
4. Introduction to the study of Dark Web 5-7
5. Summary of Dark Web 5-18
6. Literary concepts in Dark Web:
6.1 Title 6.2 18-19
Plot 6.3 Clash/ 19-20
conflict 6.3.1 Inner conflict 21-24
6.3.2 External conflict

6.4 Narrative time and narrated time 24-25
6.5 Milieu – time and space 6.6 25-38
Use of language 6.7 39
Theme 6.8 39-41
Motifs (imagery) 42-43
6.9 Symbolism 43-44
6.10 Mythology 45-47
6.11 Characterization 47-52
Section B: Post-reading
1. Contextual questions per chapter 2. 53-75

Essay type questions 76-79
3. Concept paper 4. 80-82
Possible answers: contextual questions 83-110
5. Possible answers from concept paper 111-115
6. Glossary of literary concepts 116-128
7. Glossary of words in the text 129-131
Annex – Marking rubric 132
8. List of sources 133-134
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Section A: Pre-reading
1. Introduction to genre of the novel
The term "novel" was used in the twelfth century to distinguish between works written in the
Romance language and Latin scriptures. In English the term novel is derived from novella in
Italian. There are several types of novels, for example the adventure novel, the
historical novel, the inspirational novel, the farm novel, the developmental novel, the
science fiction novel and the juvenile novel.
The novel is based on characters in a specific space and time
play off The characters and events are fictional because they are based on
imaginary circumstances.
The narrator's perspective in the novel can vary, depending on whose point of view
the events of the story are presented to the reader. A very clear distinction must be made
between the author (the person who writes the book) and the narrator, from whose point of
view it is presented. In Dark Web, the narrator of the prologue and epilogue is a third-
person narrator. This type of narrator is not one of the characters and looks at the story
from the outside. From chapter 1 to 68 Greg Owen is the narrator. This type of narrator
is called a first person narrator or an I narrator.
When the story is told in order of time and events follow one another, the passage
of time is chronological. If the passage of time alternates between the present and the past
and is constantly interrupted by flashbacks or time jumps, the passage of time is
achronological or fragmentary.
The prologue is a preface that is placed before the first chapter at the beginning of
the story. The function of the prologue is to inform the reader about the background against
which the story takes place and to make the reader curious to read further. The novel is
divided into chapters. The epilogue occurs at the end of the story, after the last chapter,
and contains the final word. In the epilogue, the unanswered questions of the reader are
answered.
Milieu is the space and time against which the story takes place. The intrigue
(framework of events or plot) is presented in a heightened line of tension where inner as well
as outer conflict is perceptible.
The reader gets to know the characters in the novel based on what the
narrator tells them, the character's appearance, dialogue, thought process of the character
and the handling of conflict. The protagonist (main character) undergoes character
development and is called a round character. Secondary characters are the other
characters who have an influence on the life of the main character. The antagonist
oppose the main character. Unimportant characters are called figurants or
marginal characters.
2. The background of Dark Web
Donker Web is the sequel to Ondermøeld, a novel that has been prescribed for the NSC
examination for Afrikaans Home Language in recent years. Although Dark Web can be
read as a standalone novel, there is important background information
from the first novel that needs to be considered.
Greg Owen is the protagonist in Underworld. He is the main son of Lawson
College, an elite boys' school for rich men's children in the Drakensberg. Greg's
father puts him under great pressure to perform, but when he befriends the
mysterious newcomer, Eckardt Wilken, his life becomes complicated.
Eckardt teaches him to hack and Greg falls behind on his schoolwork while he
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gradually getting caught up in the underworld of hacking. When Eckardt disappears without a trace,
Greg rebels against the principal because the school does not bother to track him down and wants
to keep his disappearance a secret.
He finds a clue in a photo and a curious message on Eckardt's blog, Ekk-0's Underworld.
The message leaves Greg under the impression that Doc Pienaar, the school principal, has
something to do with Eckardt's disappearance. He follows every clue through hacking and stumbles
upon Project Nursery Rhyme, a hemorrhagic virus being bred to cause a pandemic that could lead
to the death of innocent victims. The vaccines for the virus will then be sold at high cost so that the
three partners of the project, who trade under the pseudonyms The Butcher, The Baker and
The Candlestick-maker, can profit financially from it.
Greg finds out the principal, Doctor Alex Pienaar, is the Butcher. After finding out all about
Project Nursery Rhyme, he gives the information to the police, not knowing that his own father is the
Candlestick maker.
Eckardt Wilken appears out of the blue and tells Greg the truth about his
father's involvement. Greg realizes that Eckardt has planned his own disappearance and that he has
been socially manipulating him to expose the villains of Project Nursery Rhyme. It was Eckardt's
way of taking revenge on the persons responsible for the death of his father, a judge.
Greg is completely disillusioned because Eckardt was never really his friend and has been
abusing him from the start to carry out his revenge plan. He finds out that Eckardt has been using an
alias and that he is not at all who he pretends to be. The fictional Eckardt Wilken disappears again
without a trace at the end of Underworld and no one knows where the Baker is.
Dark Web takes place a year and a half later. Eckardt's real name, Xander Gericke, is
revealed in Dark Web . Chris Owen (Greg's father) is in prison, while Greg and his mother still live in
Sandhurst, Johannesburg. Greg leaves for Stellenbosch at the end of January to study Sports
Science. His decision to track down the Baker forces him to work with Xander.
3. Biography of the author: Fanie Viljoen
Fanie Viljoen is a well-known author of short stories, radio dramas, poems, fiction and non-fiction books.
He is also an illustrator and a painter.
He is passionate about writing and has been awarded many literary awards including:
• The Golden Sanlam Prize (2005) and the MER Prize (2006) for
children's literature for BrainBliksem.
• The MER prize for illustrated children's books and the ATKV children's book
award for Skeleton in the class in 2007. • The Silver Sanlam Prize
(2007) and the ATKV children's book award
(2009) for Underworld.
Fanie Viljoen was born on 2 January 1970 in Welkom. His father worked in the mine and his mother was
a housewife. He has an older brother, Neels, and a younger sister, Cecilia Steyn, who is also a writer.
Fanie has high regard for his Afrikaans teachers at Goudveld High School in Welkom where he
matriculated, especially for Dr. Anita Fourie who inspired him to write good essays. The highlight
of Fanie's school career was the day he received the encouragement prize from the Bloemfontein
Writers' Association for an essay.
After school he worked temporarily at the then Volkskas bank and in 1988 he reported in
Kimberley for his two years of national service. he has
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worked at Sanlam for sixteen years and studied part-time. In 1995 he had an N6-
certificate in graphic design at Welkom college and in 2002 he obtained a BA degree in Social
Sciences from Unisa.
In his spare time he reads, draws and paints. He often goes to the gym, walks
in the field and listen to music all day. Fanie doesn't just write a book and let it gather dust on
a bookshelf, he does so much more. He visits schools nationwide and brings his books to life
through training sessions for teachers and children. To help matriculants prepare for their
prescribed novel, Underworld, he has made a number of free videos available on the Internet.
Fanie wrote Dark Web because there were so many requests for a sequel
on Underworld. "The characters are now not only mine, but they belong to the readers
who wonder about them with me and talk about them - almost as if they were real
friends. My wish is also that the two novels will inspire readers to read other Afrikaans
books. There is a wonderland of words waiting for them."
4. Introduction to the study of Dark Web
The author and legal scholar dr. FJ Labuschagne compares Greg Owen and Plank from Dark
Web to the famous Sherlock Holmes and his friend, Watson. "Greg figures strongly as
Holmes, not only in terms of his detective skills and search for the truth, but also in terms of
his personality."
Just like Holmes, Greg can be pulled through a ring, but wherever he goes, sows
he chaos Like Holmes, Greg also prefers his own company. Plank is again like Watson
who is a prankster and breaks the seriousness of Greg's personality.
According to Labuschagne, Greg and Xander are not Holmes and Moriarty, but
together they form Holmes, while Moriarty is the elusive Baker. According to the Sherlock
Holmes stories, Moriarty is a ruthless, criminal mastermind who "commits atrocities to
perfection without losing sleep over them". In Dark Web, the Baker and Valkyrie together are the
counterpart of Moriarty. The Baker is shot dead in Dark Web, but Valkyrie manages to get
away.
Motto
The motto (epigraph) found at the beginning of the novel is a quote from another text that
creates the atmosphere in which the story takes place. There are three mottos.
The first motto is universal and prepares the reader that the novel's content may scare them, but
that there are good and bad elements in the story. The second motto is a quote from
George Orwell's book, 1984. The powerful sentence suggests that the characters in the
story experience physical or emotional pain and are not necessarily heroes. The third motto is
a warning: Beware of becoming like the monster you want to fight. This ties in with a proverb in
the novel: "The guy who wants revenge must dig two graves."
Structure of Dark Web
Prologue
The prologue is a preface at the beginning of the novel that immediately grabs the reader's
attention. The prologue is indicated by the computer term "Reboot". It is used to close and
restart all programs on the computer. The prologue is an incident that precedes the story.
In Dark Web, the prologue is a
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flashes back to twelve-year-old Xander Gericke's life and refers back to the previous novel
Underworld.
If the events in both stories were to proceed chronologically, the structure would look like this:
Prologue of Underworld
Prologue of Dark Web
Central content of Underworld
Epilogue of Underworld
Central Content of Dark Web
Epilogue of Dark Web
Central content
The beginning of the central content of the novel is indicated by "Recovery Drive". This
computer term refers to the data of a computer that is stored on something like a memory stick
that can be used again after an error on a computer has been repaired. This reference
suggests that the main character, Greg Owen, is starting a new life after the trauma he and
his family have gone through.
Dark Web 's central content consists of 68 chapters that are chronological
follow each other. Each chapter is indicated in html format just like in Underworld and
has a heading that gives the reader an indication of the content of the chapter. The parts in
italics are intertextual references – a direct quote from another text such as a newspaper
article, a quote from a website, text messages or a reference to a previous conversation.
Epilogue
The epilogue is the final word of the novel. It starts with the computer term “Format”
which is used to erase everything on a computer so that the space can be used again.
In the epilogue, the questions the reader wonders about are answered. The
epilogue in Dark Web consists of a conversation between Greg and his father in which his father
asks for forgiveness and absolves Greg of all feelings of guilt surrounding his imprisonment.
There is also a reference to Xander and Ayla disappearing.
Narrator perspective
The third-person narrator used in the prologue and epilogue has a limited omniscience
because it is not narrated by one of the characters themselves.
In chapters 1 to 68, the first-person narrator speaks. The first person narrator is
one of the characters in the story. The protagonist, Greg Owen, tells the story as he experiences
it.
The advantages of the first person narrator are:
• It makes the story believable.

• The narrator type knows his deepest emotions and feelings best
describe.
• It involves the reader in the story events.
However, there are disadvantages to this type of narrator, because this narrator does not
know what the other characters think or how they feel because the story is only told
from his own perspective, as he sees it.
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Type of novel
Dark Web is a development novel (Entwicklungsroman), because the main character, Greg
Owen's spiritual development, growth and change are emphasized in the novel. The
novel revolves around the main character's attitude towards life. He is placed in difficult
situations and learns through experience to deal with the onslaughts of life as a young
adult.
There are elements of the travelogue, a detective story and crime fiction in Dark
Web. Greg travels to Istanbul in Turkey and together with Xander he enters the dangerous
cyberspace of the dark web. They search for clues in Italy to track down the Baker and make
him pay for his crimes. The story focuses on Greg's spiritual journey to adulthood. Finally he
finds himself and makes peace with her
dad.
5. Summary of Dark Web
Dark Web in a Nutshell
Greg Owen begins his studies in Sports Science at the University of

Stellenbosch. However, he is not the typical carefree student, but someone who regrets
his part in his father's imprisonment. He believes that the Baker, who is one of the three
partners of Project Nursery Rhyme, also belongs in the prison and decides to track him
down.
Greg surprises his mother on Easter weekend and is upset because his mother
has a lover. He also visits his father in Kgosi Mampuru II Prison. His father warns him against
the Baker, but he is determined to track him down.
He contacts Xander Gericke to help him get the Baker to the
pin to drive. Greg receives a package containing a burned book from an anonymous
sender that can help him track down the Baker.
Plank, who planted the transponder Xander sent Greg in his hand, goes with Greg to
Turkey where Xander and his girlfriend, Ayla, live.
Xander and Greg butt heads because Greg is hiding things from him, but they still manage to
work together.
They are trying everything in their power to locate the Baker through the dark web and
the Elsewhere web page. They have to flee Turkey when the Baker's people attack them.
Plank is captured by the Baker.
The search for the Baker leads them to Italy, but the Baker gets snuff and disappears
again. Dirk Schutte arrives and tells Greg some bad news.
Through hacking, they follow the trail of the Baker to Venice. However, the Baker is
overslept and finds them before they find him and then the sparks fly.
Summary per chapter
With each chapter, the space against which it takes place is placed in brackets and
where possible the time is also indicated.
Prologue (Johannesburg – years ago)
• Strange visitors show up at the Gericke residence.

• Judge Gericke, Xander's father, is in mortal danger.
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Chapter 1 (South Africa: Sandhurst – The night before Greg Owen's departure to
Stellenbosch)
Time: End of January, a year passed after his matric year.
• Brief references to the conclusion of the previous novel, Underworld.

• Greg thinks back to Lawson College which he was in the middle of his matric year
had to leave.
• His luggage is ready, because he is leaving for Stellenbosch the next day.
• Greg and his mother are in John's room, his brother who committed suicide.
• They talk about John and his mother tells Greg about her remorse and frustration
after John's death.
Chapter 2 (On the way to Stellenbosch)

• Greg leaves with his BMW 118i sports model for Stellenbosch where he will study
Sports Science.
• During the trip, he thinks about Xander (Eckardt Wilken) who was the cause of their
family breakup, and about his last day at Lawson College.
• He also thinks about the court case of his father, and about the strange woman who just for
attended the court proceedings one day.
Chapter 3 (Beaufort West guest house)
• A woman at the guesthouse recognizes Greg.

• An argument ensues when the woman refers to his father killing people.
• Greg arrives at his apartment in Stellenbosch and meets Chloe and her
friends.
• Plank, Greg's school friend, shows up at his apartment.
Chapter 4 (Student life in Matieland; O-week for first years; Windows)

January/February
• First week of student life.

• A strange woman asks Plank about Greg.
• Conflict with an unknown student at Vensters' street theater due to the reference to
his father's misdeeds.
Chapter 5 (Stellenbosch University's campus and street scene)

February
• Plank tells Greg about Lisa, the girl with the elf face and black hair he met.
• Greg sees an artwork, “Broken Trust”, in front of the SMAC Art Gallery.
• Lisa's father drops Plank and Lisa down the street where Greg is waiting for them.
Her father forces Lisa back into the van because he recognizes Greg and warns
him to stay away from her.
Chapter 6 (Stellenbosch)
• Greg is frustrated because his father's misdeeds cause people to blame him
judge.
• He decides to find out more about the Baker.
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• Greg tries to set up a profile of the Baker.

• He comes across a photo of his father with doctor Rian Trollip.
• He remembers a party at their house, when he and John were still children, where
Doctor Trollip and his wife were present.
• Doctor Trollip was part of Plus Ultramed.
• He considers the doctor a suspect, but comes across a report about the doctor's arrest
for child pornography and his later suicide in the prison cell.
• Greg calls Dr. Trollip's wife.

• He finds out she is under the influence of alcohol.
• She ends the call when he says he's looking for the Baker.
• Greg tries to get information from people who may have known Dr. Trollip.
Chapter 9 (Stellenbosch – Workout Café/gym)
• He gets to know Dain February, one of his classmates, better.

• Lisa's father, Dirk Schutte, appears at the Workout Café.
• Dirk apologizes for his behavior, questions him about the hacking and warns him to stop
hacking.
• A package with a letter and a burned book arrives at Greg's apartment

delivered.
• Plank comes to visit and tells him about his problems with Lisa.
• A man on a motorcycle watches Greg's apartment.
• Greg and Plank look at the burned book with formulas, diagrams and cryptic notes.
• On the last page is written "Valkyrie".
Chapter 11 (Stellenbosch / Johannesburg)

Easter weekend – April
• Greg finds out what Valkyrie means.

• Greg sees the same man who was watching him earlier on his motorcycle outside
the Workout Café.
• Greg flies from Cape Town Airport to OR Tambo Airport for the Easter weekend
in Johannesburg to visit his mother.
Chapter 12 (Sandhurst Nursing Home and Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, Pretoria)
• Greg is upset when he finds his mother's crook, André Symington, at his parents' house
found
• The next day he visits his father, Chris Owen, in the Kgosi Mampuru II-
prison.
• His father warns him to leave the Baker alone.
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• He sees Doc Pienaar in the visitors' booth.
Chapter 13 (Sandhurst Parent's Home and Stellenbosch)
• Nicole waits for him at his parents' house with a baby on her hip. • His
mother tells him that Thomas Lawson has invited him to dinner. • He flies back
to Cape Town on Sunday evening. • Someone broke into
his apartment and left a threatening message on his sliding door
writing.
• Greg considers enlisting Xander's help in tracking down the Baker.
Chapter 14 (Clifton, Lawson residence and Stellenbosch)
• Greg attends the dinner at Thomas Lawson's house. • He

meets some of Thomas Lawson's friends. • On the balcony he has
a conversation with Sebastian Stadler. • Thomas Lawson talks to Greg
in his study and offers him help. • Lawson criticizes Greg about his course of study and an
exchange ensues. • Greg sends Xander a message on his blog. • Xander returns a strange
message.
Chapter 15 (Stellenbosch, De Warenmarkt)
• Greg finds out that Xander's message is a Greek palindrome meaning: "Wash away the
sins too, not just the face." • He hangs out with Plank and Lisa at De
Warenmarkt. • Greg responds to Xander's message. He admits that he has
"sins" and asks Xander to help him track down the Baker.
Chapter 16 (Stellenbosch, NG Mother Church)

Two weeks later.
• Greg notices Tom when, after class, he is on his way to his apartment. • He
follows Tom to the NG Mother Church. • Tom is
surprised when Greg says that he will pay Xander to help him because Xander is rich and
doesn't need his money.
Chapter 17 (Stellenbosch, wooden bridge over the Eerste River)
• Greg searches for clues in the burned book. • Lisa,

Plank and Chloe show up unexpectedly at Greg's apartment. • Greg informs
them of his plans to capture the Baker. • The next day, on his way to
university, he sees Tom's body in the rocky riverbed of the Eerste River.
• Greg is late for class. Professor Kabi, a guest lecturer, pressures Greg to give his opinion on
boosters. • Greg sends the video of Tom's
body to Xander. • Greg's mother tells him that someone
followed her in the mall. • Greg receives photos of his mother, taken by a stalker, in his Dropbox.
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Chapter 19 (Stellenbosch, Botanical Garden)
• Greg sees a person with a "hoodie" watching him. He realizes that this
Xander is.
• Xander runs away and Greg chases after him.
• Xander manages to shake Greg off and get away.
Chapter 20 (Stellenbosch: Wilgenhof residence and the information center in

Market Street)
• Greg tells Plank that he saw Xander.

• He wonders if Xander has anything to do with Tom's death.
• Greg receives an anonymous message ordering him to the person
meet at the information center in Market Street.
• A voice from the holding cells warns Greg that they will kill his father if he continues to look for
the Baker.
Chapter 21 (Stellenbosch, Dirk Schutte's house)
• Greg drives to Lisa's house to ask for her father's help. • A black car chases
him, but Greg shakes him off.
• Dirk promises that he will find someone to warn Chris Owen.
• Dirk encourages Greg to continue his search for the Baker.
• Xander emails Greg and orders him to turn off the Telegram app
to load
• Xander asks Greg if he sent him another video.
• Greg watches in horror the execution video of Judge Gericke, Xander
said father. He was suffocated with an inner tube.
• Greg denies sending him the video.

• Xander finally agrees to help Greg get revenge on the Baker.
• Greg receives two packages from Xander: a laptop and a package
on which the words "Dangerous Things" are printed.
• In the second package is a transponder.

• Xander orders Greg to take the transponder to a tattoo shop and
to plant it in his hand. After that, he must send him proof that he has executed the order.
• Greg approaches Chloe to manipulate a photo (using Photoshop) to make it look like he has
the transponder implanted in his hand.
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• Greg arrives at the apartment and finds that the apartment door is not locked
not.
• He finds Plank with a bloody hand in the bathroom. Plank has the
transponder planted in his hand.
• Greg disinfects Plank's hand and yells at him for being like that
is irresponsible.
Chapter 27 (Stellenbosch / Cape Town Airport)
• Greg sends the manipulated photo to Xander.

• Greg uses Plank's hand to activate the laptop.
• Xander orders Greg to come to Istanbul in Turkey where he lives.
• Plank is forced to go to Turkey with Greg because of the transponder in his hand that contains the laptop's
password.
Chapter 28 (Cape Town Airport / Istanbul, Turkey)
• Greg informs his mother that he is flying to Istanbul and throws his cell phone in a trash can
at the airport as Xander ordered.
• Xander is not at the Istanbul airport. Greg informs him of them
arrival.
• Xander lets it be known that they will meet at Basilica Cistern.
Chapter 29 (Turkey, Istanbul, Basilica Cistern)
• Plank waits outside the building because Xander doesn't know that the transponder is in his hand and not in
Greg's.
• Greg marvels at the splendor of the “Sunken Palace” and gets stuck at a
image of Medusa.
• Xander suddenly appears next to Greg.
Chapter 30 (Turkey, Istanbul, Basilica Cistern)
• The atmosphere between Greg and Xander is tense during the reunion.
• Xander distrusts Greg when he realizes he doesn't have the transponder in his hand.
• Xander refuses to listen to Greg and wants no deal with him

not going on
Chapter 31 (Turkey, Istanbul, Street Scene and Hotel)
• Plank and Greg are on their own and spend the night in a hotel.
• They fantasize about the future.
• The next morning, Xander shows up. His girlfriend, Ayla, talked him into giving Greg a second chance.
Chapter 32 (Turkey, Istanbul, Balat District – Xander's Residence)
• Xander shows Greg and Plank their rooms.
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• They meet Ayla, a beautiful Turkish girl.

• Plank and Greg are surprised that Ayla can speak Afrikaans.
• Ayla's parents work for Doctors Without Borders.
Chapter 33 (Istanbul, Xander's residence)
• Greg tells Xander what he found out about the Baker.

• A conflict situation arises between Greg and Xander.
• Xander is very upset, but Ayla calms him down.
• Greg doesn't tell Xander about the burned book.
Chapter 34 (Istanbul, Xander's Residence, Dark Web Cyberspace)
• Xander explains to Greg how the dark web works.

• With the rules laid down by Xander in mind, Greg sniffs around in the dark
web.
• Xander is furious with Plank for making friends with the Turks and smashes his cell
phone.
• They try to put together a profile of the Baker and speculate about plans to capture
the Baker.
• Ayla and Xander do research together on possible plans to lure the Baker; while Greg
and Xander work together as a team in search of the perfect plan.
• Greg sees that someone has scratched in his suitcase and realizes that the burned book is not
no more in his bag.
• Xander confronts Greg for taking the information about the book from him
withheld.
• Xander tells Greg about Project Coast and the deadly chemicals that
used to kill people.
• Xander is disappointed because he can't trust Greg.
• Greg resolves the friction between him and Xander by apologizing. • Xander thinks
about luring the Baker with a project about poison.
• They plan to inquire about a similar drug to Novichok on the dark web.
• They receive negative feedback on the dark web.
Chapter 39 (Istanbul, Hagia Sophia/Holy Wisdom.)
• Xander and Greg embark on a trip to the “Holy Wisdom”.

• A relaxed atmosphere prevails between Greg and Xander.
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• Xander tells Greg that the strange words on his blog were an inscription at the Hagia
Sophia.
• There are some responses to Xander and Greg's query on the dark web.
• Someone on the dark web recommends that they should inquire on Elsewhere's
web page.
• There's an ominous intro on Elsewhere's website, but they can't get past the intro.
• Greg talks to Ayla about Xander. It's clear that Greg has feelings for
Ayla.
• Greg is awake in the middle of the night looking for a way in
Elsewhere's web page. He discovers that FontCode can give them access.
• Through FontCode they gain access to Elsewhere and receive a

welcome message from the web page.
• They inquire about chemical products via Telegram.
• The Baker replies: "Greg and Xander, who do you think you're playing?"
• The Baker's threatening message to Xander and Greg is disturbing and they
suspecting that their plan to provoke him had failed.
• Xander and Greg make new plans to track down the Baker. They are considering
several options: his Bitcoin address, software or through data scraps.
• They decide to put a video on the server and the Baker
luring there via a Telegram message. They find out that the Baker is in Florence
in Italy.
Chapter 44 (Istanbul, Xander's Residence)
• Plank and Greg must obtain forged European passports to travel to Italy.
• Xander and Greg talk about the influence of technology.
Chapter 45 (Istanbul, Xander's residence. Attractions: Hagia Sophia, Basilica Cistern,

Blue Mosque and Topkapi Palace)
• Plank and Greg visit various sights in Turkey and they

passports are delivered.
• Plank desperately storms into the apartment and announces that there is big
trouble is.
Chapter 46 (Flight from Turkey)
• Plank's new Turkish friend, Candon, informed him that other people had inquired
about them.
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• Xander is furious, he smashes the laptops and orders everyone around

packing their bags.
• They fled when someone knocked on the door. Xander forces Greg to choose between
him and Plank.
• Plank is captured by the Baker's henchmen.
Chapter 47 (Italy, Rome, Florence: Hotel Domus Florentiae)
• Xander, Ayla and Greg fly to Rome and travel by train to Florence.
• They arrive at the hotel. • Xander
gets a new laptop and they get backdoor access to the
Baker's computer.
Chapter 48 (Florence: Hotel Domus Florentiae)
• Xander and Greg examine the Baker's computer for possible clues to determine his
identity.
• They download a bunch of encrypted documents and find out what the Baker's
physical address is.
• Greg sneaks away to the Baker's address late at night.
• He watches the Baker and his wife from the sidewalk opposite their house.
Chapter 49 (Florence: Hotel Domus Florentiae; Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci and

Accademia Gallery)
• Xander is angry because Greg was near the Baker's house.

• An elderly man and a lady communicate with Greg as he looks at the sculptures in
the Accademia gallery in the soft light.
• The Baker is no longer at his residence. A black car chases for
Xander, Greg and Ayla.
• A teddy bear is delivered to Xander at the hotel. There is a pistol in the

belly of the teddy bear.
• Xander gives Greg a fright when he points the pistol at him.
Chapter 51 (Florence: Hotel Domus Florentiae and Palazzo Vecchio)
• Greg resents Xander's sick joke.

• Greg receives a message from Dirk Schutte to join him the next day at the
Palazzo Vecchio to meet.
• Dirk has bad news for Greg.
Chapter 52 (Florence: Palazzo Vecchio)
• Greg suspects that Dirk is the Baker.

• Dirk says that Doc is dead and that Greg's father, Chris Owen, was assaulted in prison
and hospitalized.
• Xander doesn't trust Dirk.
Chapter 53 (Florence: Palazzo Vecchio)

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• Greg gets nervous and doubts whether he should look any further for the Baker.
• Greg tells Dirk that Plank stayed behind in Turkey.
• Xander wants to crack the Baker's laptop's webcam.

• The Baker realized that someone was on his computer and the back door
closed.
• They gain access to the Baker's web camera through Meterpeter and
find out that he is in Venice.
Chapter 55 (Venice: Airbnb Accommodation - Studio)
• Dirk follows Xander, Ayla and Greg to Venice. They get accommodation at a studio
where an artist sometimes works.
• Xander distrusts Greg and thinks he's plotting revenge. • Greg shows Dirk the burned
book and together they draw up a list of suspects: Prof. Kabi, Thomas Lawson, gen. Winters and
André Symington.
• Greg wonders if Ayla's father might not be the Baker. He suspects that Xander is manipulating
her socially to expose her father.
Chapter 57 (Venice: Airbnb Stay - Studio and Rialto Bridge)
• Greg finds Ayla at the Rialto Bridge and warns her that Xander is abusing her. He tells her that
he thinks that her father is the Baker.
• Ayla doesn't want to believe it, but she doubts it.
• She finds comfort in Greg's arms and they kiss when Xander arrives.
Chapter 58 (Venice: Rialto Bridge, studio)
• Xander is angry about Greg's allegations. • He says

that he regretted his revenge on the Owens and likes Greg
wanted to help
• Xander has an emotional breakdown.
• Ayla distrusts Greg and Xander.
• Greg is busy on the laptop late at night. He digs into Xander's files but can't find anything
incriminating.
• He watches the Baker's webcam, hears heavy piano music and a woman's voice. Then
he sees the Baker's face!
• The Baker looks familiar to Greg. • Greg

makes a video of the Baker.
• Greg and Xander decide to put aside their differences and work together.
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• Greg finds out more about Project Coast.

• The Baker is: Doctor Sebastian Stadler.
• Printouts of photos and videos about the Baker are pasted on a wall and
they think of plans to catch him.
• Xander believes that they should take the same approach that Taylor Swift did when she
used facial recognition software during one of her concerts.
• They buy cell phones with good cameras. They want to use it to make videos and use a facial
recognition program to locate the Baker in Venice.
• Greg has a disturbing nightmare.
Chapter 63 (Venice: Airbnb accommodation - studio, tourist attractions in the city)
• Ayla, Dirk and Greg walk the streets with cell phones looking for the Baker while Xander sits in
front of the computer to monitor the facial recognition program.
• Greg hides his cell phone in his hiding place and goes to get a "power bank" from their place
of residence.
• There is conflict between Xander and Greg about the cell phone he hid
has.
• The Baker is recognized by the facial recognition program on the hidden cell phone.
Chapter 64 (Venice: Airbnb accommodation - studio and Ponte della Paglia)
• Greg and Xander run through the city to get to the cell phone.
• A hawker shows them in which direction the person who took the mobile phone,
disappeared and gives Greg a cap as a present.
• They see Plank, who has been badly assaulted, with the mobile phone in his hand.
Chapter 65 (Venice: Giardini Reali, the Royal Gardens)
• Plank says that a woman is waiting for them in the Royal Gardens. • Too
late, Greg sees Plank's message on the cell phone saying it's a trap.
• Valkyrie and the Baker appear and think they have control over Xander, Greg,
Ayla and Dirk.
• The Baker and Valkyrie poisoned one of the four "prisoners".
• The Baker tells them his life story.

• Greg shows signs of poisoning.
• Xander has a trump card: He has through Ransomware (ransomware) the Baker's
computer's code cracked.
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• Xander warns the Baker that his misdeeds to the SA police and others
law enforcement will be disclosed. • Greg is
given the antidote to counteract the poisoning.
• Xander shoots the Baker dead.
Chapter 68 (Venice: Grand Canal)
• Valkyrie slips away unseen.

• Xander, Ayla, Greg, Plank and Dirk flee on the Grand Canal in the Baker's
boat away
• Valkyrie's speedboat crashes into them. They end up in the water and are shot at. • Plank is
shot dead.
Epilogue (South Africa, Pretoria, Kgosi Mampuru II Prison: C-Max Visitor Area)
• Greg and his father are in conversation. There is a change of character to be detected in Chris
Owen.
• Greg and his father reconcile.
6. Aspects of the novel: Dark Web
6.1 Title
Throughout the novel, the word "dark" as well as "web" is referred to separately and
collectively. In the first chapter of the novel, Xander Gericke walks down the dark corridor.
He becomes aware of the darkness that grabs him and hides in the folds of his robe. The dark is
here personified as evil.
When Greg goes to college, he initially enjoys it and thinks that the
"dark days" (page 36) are gone, but when he starts researching the Baker it's as if the dark
things return.
Characters are personified as dark. Xander is a dark character with
a dark voice. Greg equates him with the devil. Even Greg feels that there is a dark place in
his head (page 84) and that the darkness cannot escape from him. Figurantes (fringe characters)
such as the man watching Greg, the man chasing his mother and the Baker's uniformed men
who attack Greg in Turkey, wear black clothes and drive in black vehicles.
Then there is that "dark web", full of pages where you all kinds of illegal things
can obtain Xander calls it on page 179 "the darkest part of your brain" and "your darkest
thoughts". On the dark web, Xander and Greg begin searching for the Baker. They throw out
"bait" to lure him out of the dark so that his crimes can come to light.
Many spaces in the novel are also depicted as dark such as Greg's visit to his
father in prison; Greg and Xander's reunion in the Basilica Cistern; judge Gericke's execution
and Elsewhere's website are shrouded in darkness. These references to the word "dark"
relate to the title and create an eerie atmosphere.
The darkness is figuratively referred to. In chapter 9 Dirk Schutte tells

Greg: "There are things in this world that are darker than dark."
The references to a spider's web appear throughout the story.
On page 44 it is written: "Every pluck on the spider's thread of memory makes the
whole web tremble." The search for the Baker is metaphorically equated to "a fine web's first
thread being stretched". Like the tension
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increases, the web gets narrower (page 75) and adds more spider threads (page 109).
From chapter 59 the references to the web increase in intensity. The

web is stretched, it trembles and another thread is knotted (page 312). In chapter 65, Xander
and Greg walk into the Baker's web when they fall into the Baker's trap. In chapter 66, the Baker
pulls together the cobwebs of lies, corruption, bribery and death when he talks about his dark past.
Although the Baker thinks he has Xander and Greg in his power, Xander himself has spun a web
around him by cracking his network and exposing his dark deeds.
6.2 Conspiracy
The plot is the framework of events. It is presented in an increased voltage line. The prologue
and Greg Owen's first days on Matieland are the exposition of the novel. He is studying
Sports Science in Stellenbosch where Plank, his old matric friend from Lawson College, is already
busy with his second year of study.
Both Doc Pienaar and his father are in the Kgosi Mampuru II prison in C-Max, Pretoria.
Greg leaves with his new BMW for Stellenbosch and leaves his mother alone in the
large house in Sandhurst, Johannesburg, rear. He lives in a luxury studio apartment
within walking distance of the university. Chloe, an art student who lives in an adjacent apartment,
tries to involve Greg in student life, but due to the suspicion and contempt for his father's
misdeeds, the other students treat him harshly. He prefers to withdraw to his apartment and
maintains a low profile.
Plank drops in often and the friendships that form at Lawson College
already forged, become so close again that Greg gives him a key to his apartment.
Plank gets a girlfriend, Lisa. The first meeting with her father, Dirk Schutte, is disastrous and
he orders Greg to stay away from his daughter.
Dirk's reaction causes Greg to decide to track down the Baker. In chapter 7, he starts
researching on the internet to find information about the Baker. This is the motor moment,
because it sets the action in motion.
In the development the tension increases. Dirk apologizes and warns Greg to stop the
hacking. However, Greg is stubborn and continues to search the Internet for clues about the third
member of Project Nursery Rhyme, the Baker. For him it is important to restore his family's
name in honor and that the Baker, a virologist, must also pay for his crime. He suspects that Doctor
Rian Trollip, a former friend of his father's, is the Baker, but runs into a dead end when he realizes
that he is dead.
He calls Dr. Trollip's wife, but she quickly ends the call. 'a pair
days later, a package containing a burned book is delivered to Greg's apartment. The burned book
and the accompanying note inform him that he is on the trail of the Baker. His inquiries about the
Baker wake sleeping dogs.
There is conflict between the various characters which is an integral part of the
intrigue is. Greg and his mother are being watched. He receives pictures of his mother that serve as
a warning that he should stop his search for the Baker, but it fuels him instead. Greg is also
warned that his father will be killed in prison.
He contacts Xander Gericke to help him track down the Baker.
Xander sends him two packages: a laptop and a transponder to be implanted in his hand. Taking
precautions so he can't get back into Xander's grip, Greg sends Xander a manipulated photo. He
thinks that Greg followed his instructions and that the transponder with the
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laptop keyword implanted in Greg's hand. However, Greg doesn't account for Plank because he
found the transponder in the apartment and implanted it in his hand.
So Plank has to go to Turkey with Greg to meet Xander so that

they can further plan to track down the Baker. In Underworld during his last meeting with Xander,
Greg notices Xander's image in the reflection of the art gallery's window. In Dark Web in the Basilica
Cistern he sees him in the reflection of the water and asks him if he is "online" yet.
It is not a happy reunion and the tension is running high. When Xander finds out that
the transponder isn't in Greg's hand, he doesn't want to help Greg track down the Baker. Ayla, his
girlfriend, convinces him that he should give Greg another chance. They try to lure the Baker out of
the dark with a query about chemicals on the dark web and later on Elsewhere's web page.
The Baker realizes that it is Greg and Xander who are on his trail and warns them that he can track
them down before they find him.
Against Xander's orders, Plank befriends a Turk, Candon. He calls too

for Lisa from Candon's phone. Plank's friendship with the Turk causes the Baker to track them down
and they have to flee Turkey. Xander refuses to let Plank go to Italy with them. Plank is captured
by the Baker's people. Greg, Ayla and Xander travel to Florence, Italy, where the Baker lives, but
before they can apprehend him, he leaves the country.
Dirk Schutte, Lisa's father, arrives in Florence and tells Greg that Doc Pienaar has been
murdered in prison. His father was also assaulted and is in the intensive care unit of the hospital
in Pretoria.
Xander hacks the Baker's laptop's webcam and they discover that he is in Venice. Dirk follows
them to Venice and together they try to track down the Baker. They walk around Venice with cameras
to track down the Baker through facial recognition. Greg makes an error in judgment by leaving his
cell phone unattended and it ends up in the hands of the Baker. The facial recognition program
recognizes the Baker's face.
Xander and Greg see Plank with the cell phone leading them to the Royal Gardens. The
crisis phase of the novel is when Greg and Xander realize that the Baker tracked them down
before they could track him down. The Baker says that one of them is poisoned and will die.
Greg realizes he is the victim and feels the effects of the poison.
Fortunately, Xander has a trump card. He cracked the Baker's network's code and froze all his
computers at the lab. Xander says that he will announce the Baker's new project on mind control
to the SA Police, FBI and other law enforcement and that he will drive the pin. Greg gets the antidote
and recovers.
The climax of the novel is when Xander shoots the Baker dead and
Valkyrie escapes. Greg-they think that they are safe and sail away on the Grand Canal. Valkyrie
suddenly shows up with a speedboat and collides with their boat. Everyone ends up in the water
while being shot at. Plank is wounded and dies in the canal of the Water City.
The epilogue is the denouement of the novel. Greg visits his father
the prison. Chris Owen genuinely regrets the type of father he was to Greg. Greg promises his
father that he will visit again and not push him away. Greg's mother, André, Dirk and Lisa are
waiting for Greg outside the prison. Greg finds comfort in Lisa's
arms.
Subplot: The term subplot refers to subordinate story lines. It usually has something to do
with the plot. Examples of this are: Nicole's visit to Greg, Plank and Lisa's relationship, Xander and
Ayla's relationship and Greg's conflict with fringe characters such as the student at the Windows
performance.
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6.3 Conflict/Conflict
Conflict is a struggle between characters (external conflict), between characters and their
environment or circumstances or the struggle within the character itself (inner conflict) when a
character grapples with an issue with which he cannot come to terms.
Conflict increases the tension.
In a conflict situation it is important to determine the cause of the conflict
state and determine the nature of the conflict. How a character handles a conflict situation
is character revealing. The consequences of external conflict sometimes give rise to
internal conflict or vice versa. Sometimes conflict is defused and there is peace between the
characters or in the character's mind, while other conflict situations remain
smoldering and can flare up again at any time.
6.3.1 Inner conflict
Inner conflict takes place in a character's mind. On the eve of his departure to Stellenbosch,
Greg sits in his late brother John's room. He could never come to terms with John's suicide. He
cherishes the memories of him and John practicing extreme sports together. He thinks of the
Mexican proverb that says that there are three dead. The third death refers to the day you can no
longer remember someone. For Greg, it is important to remember his brother. His mother warns
him that the things you pack are the things you will carry with you.
Greg experiences inner conflict due to his father's involvement in Project Nursery
Rhyme which landed him in prison. Greg feels guilty for being responsible for his father's exposure
and imprisonment. The student at the Windows performance contemptuously refers to him as a
"loser" who put his father in prison. Most students also keep him at a distance and want nothing
to do with him. This inner conflict leads Greg to prefer to stay in his apartment and not mix with
others. His neighbor, Chloe, calls him a sneak.
He wonders if he should tell his father about his mother's lover. Greg becomes
disillusioned (chapter 12) when he goes to visit his mother in Sandhurst, Johannesburg during
the Easter weekend and finds a strange man in their house. It feels like a mountain burning inside
him. His mother says that there are more secrets in their family than he knows about. This causes
uncertainty especially when he goes to visit his father and realizes that his father blames him for their
family breakup and his imprisonment.
Greg's greatest inner conflict is rooted in his father's contempt for him.
This conflict had already arisen when his father told him after John's death: "It could have been you
instead." (page 243) However, Greg's inner conflict does not get him down. This prompts him to
look for the Baker for his mother's sake so that he can settle with him for the damage done to his
family.
In the epilogue, it is revealed that Chris Owen also experiences inner conflict due to the fact
that he was not a good father to Greg. He absolves Greg of his guilt and says that he deserved his
prison sentence. Greg's promise that he will visit his father again defuses his and his father's inner
conflict.
Other inner conflict:
• Dirk Schutte experiences inner conflict because he judged Greg
without even getting to know him.
• Greg doubts whether he should continue with the search for the Baker because he is
afraid his mother and father will be killed by the Baker. • Inner conflict
arises because of Greg's feelings about Ayla.
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• Greg struggles with the fact that he has a choice on Xander's instructions
must make between him and Plank. •
Greg cannot forgive himself for leaving Plank in Turkey in the clutches of the Baker.
He was shocked to see how badly Plank had been assaulted by the Baker's
people.
• Plank is the tragic victim of Greg's obsession with the Baker
find. Greg is saddened and feels guilty when Plank dies. He says that Plank didn't
deserve to die because because of his involvement with Greg, Plank's
dreams were destroyed.
• Ayla experiences inner conflict on the Rialto Bridge when she doesn't know whether
to trust Greg or Xander.
• Xander regrets destroying Greg's family to make his revenge plan succeed. After
his emotional breakdown on the Rialto Bridge, Xander admits that he regrets
what he did to Greg, so he wanted to help him catch the Baker.
6.3.2 External conflict
External conflict can occur in the form of altercations, when someone gets into a fight or even a
piercing look.
Greg and Xander
Xander and Greg are in conflict because he abused Greg in his matric year to get revenge on
the Owens. The mistrust between them fuels a fire of discord that gives rise to altercations.
Xander's reply to Greg's message asking for help is a Greek palindrome. Greg is furious
when he realizes that Xander wants him to confess his sins before he will help him. Xander sends
Tom, his hacker friend, to talk to Greg, but the meeting bears no fruit, and Tom's body is found
the next day. Greg is frustrated because Xander doesn't answer him after he sends him the
video of Tom. Xander unexpectedly shows up in Stellenbosch, but he flees when he sees Greg.
A few days later, Greg gets a message from Xander. He orders him to the
Downloading Telegram application on his cell phone so they can chat. Xander is furious
because he suspects that Greg has the video of Judge Gericke, Xander's father
sent him to execution. Greg denies it and is shocked by the video. They decide to work together
to get revenge on the Baker.
Greg is reluctant about the transponder Xander sent him
to plant in his hand. He doesn't like funny things in his body and knows if he agrees to it,
he will be under Xander's control. Chloe helps him manipulate a photo so he can fool Xander.
Plank plants the transponder in his hand and this causes further problems for Greg.
There is a tense reunion between Greg and Xander in Turkey.

Xander realizes that Greg has been fooling him about the transponder and refuses to help him.
Ayla helps defuse this conflict and he gives Greg another chance.
The tension between Greg and Xander remains on a knife edge all the time. They
judge each other's opinions based on their parents' integrity, they distrust each other and
Xander hates it when Greg doesn't do exactly what he orders or when he hides things from
him.
Greg's nocturnal visit to the Baker's house in Florence is fat on the fire
for Xander. He is furious because Greg is doing things behind his back that they are looking for
22
to the Baker can crash. Xander unnerved Greg when he jokingly pointed a pistol at him.
On the Rialto Bridge, Xander comes upon Greg and Ayla kissing after Greg tells Ayla that
Xander is just using her. Appearing defenseless, Xander has an emotional breakdown and
tells Greg that he is sorry for what he did to him and his family.
Greg makes an error of judgment when he hides the mobile phone he used to
try to locate the Baker and goes to get a new power bank. Xander is angry and there is an
altercation. Then they see how the camera of the phone recognizes the Baker's face. They
run together to get hold of him.
As a united front against the Baker, the conflict between Greg and Xander is defused
where they stand in the Royal Gardens. Xander saves Greg's life by forcing the Baker and
Valkyrie to give Greg an antidote to counteract the poison in his body.
Xander scores a victory over the Baker for hacking into his network and
bringing his entire project on human mind control to a halt.
Xander shoots the Baker dead.
In their final conversation on the boat, Xander tries to convince Greg that he is
sorry for the damage he caused to Greg and his family and they make up.
Greg and his mother clash because of her lover, André Symington, who lives with her. In
chapter 12, his mother tries to defuse the conflict by explaining to Greg that she was alone
and confesses that they have been having an affair for some time.
This gives rise to inner conflict in Greg, because he keeps his mother's scheming
affair a secret from his father.
Greg and his father, Chris Owen, have an altercation when Greg visits him in Kgosi
Mampuru II prison. Chris freaks out about the dire circumstances he's in and blames
Greg because it's his fault he ended up in prison. Chris tries to resolve the conflict by calling
Greg back when he gets annoyed and walks away. His father refuses to help him track
down the Baker, saying that he must leave the Baker alone.
After his eldest son's suicide, Chris told Greg that he should do it instead
be who had to die. This hurt Greg and caused him and his father to never have a good
relationship.
The conflict between father and son is defused after Greg's return from Venice
when Chris confesses in the epilogue that he was not a good father to him and absolves
him of his guilt.
Greg and Plank have been friends since school days. When Greg starts studying in
Stellenbosch, the friendship is continued and Greg gives Plank a key to his apartment.
Greg is furious (chapter 26) when he arrives at his apartment to find Plank in the bathroom
covered in blood because Plank planted the transponder Xander sent Greg in his hand. Greg
helps Plank stop the bleeding and disinfect the wound. Plank acts calmly in the conflict
situation.
Conflict arises between Xander and Plank because he called Lisa and made friends with
the Turkish street vendor, Candon. He destroys Plank's phone and warns him to stay
away from strangers. Plank becomes friends with Candon and
he uses his phone to call Lisa. Xander is furious when Plank tells that there are people who
have inquired about them because he warned Plank and he didn't listen.
23
Xander believes that Plank is putting their lives in danger. He presents Greg with a choice
when they had to flee from Turkey. He has to choose between him and Plank. Greg is in a
dire situation. He knows that he won't track down the Baker without Xander's help. He feels
guilty because he has to leave Plank behind. This causes inner conflict in Greg.
Greg and Thomas Lawson are in conflict at the Lawson residence. Greg was invited to a meal
and his mother forced him to go. Thomas Lawson summons Greg to his study where he
questions his field of study. Thomas Lawson offers to offer Greg other opportunities, but Greg
says that he doesn't need his handouts and storms off.
Other less important characters with whom Greg is in conflict are the guest at the guest
house in Beaufort West, the student at Vensters, Dirk Schutte, Tom and Ayla.
Greg & Xander versus the Baker and Valkyrie
Greg's inquiries about Rian Trollip put the Baker on guard. He tries everything he can to stop
Greg from tracking him down. Already with Greg's arrival in Stellenbosch, a strange
woman (Valkyrie) inquires about Greg. A man on a motorcycle watches Greg's apartment.
Greg spots the biker outside the Workout Café. After his return from the Easter weekend,
there is a threatening message from the Baker on his sliding door: "You and your hacker buddy
must leave me alone."
The Baker tries to scare Greg with pictures of his
mother, who was taken by one of his henchmen in a shopping mall. A further warning is
given to Greg from the holding cells at the information center in Stellenbosch that the
Baker will kill his father in prison. A black car follows Greg when he is on his way to Dirk Schutte's
house. All of these things cause Greg to be tense and constantly looking around warily to see if
someone is following him. Instead of stopping him, it prompts him to find the Baker.
Xander and Greg join forces to lure the Baker out of hiding so they can deal with him. The
Baker smells a fuse and knows that Greg and Xander are on his trail when he receives the query
about chemicals via Elsewhere. He sends them a message challenging them and warning that
he might get them first. Through hacking, Xander and Greg find out that the Baker is in Florence.
In the Accademia gallery, the Baker talks to an unsuspecting Greg and Valkyrie says: "The
doctor knows a lot of things about a lot of things."
The Baker and Valkyrie flee and pack for Venice, but Xander and Greg stay
hot on their trail and follow them there. The Baker thinks he has everything under control
because he's imprisoned Plank and poisoned Greg, but as always, Xander is a few steps
ahead and foils the Baker with a cyber attack he launched on his lab. He threatens to expose
his crime and inform the authorities about his project on brain control of babies. Xander shoots
the Baker dead. Valkyrie's speedboat hits their boat in the Grand Canal and they are fired
upon. Then she disappears without a trace. Greg and Xander achieved victory by getting rid of
the Baker and getting revenge on him.
6.4 Telling time and told time
Narrative time is the number of pages of the novel. Narrated time is the time period covered
by the entire story, excluding flashbacks. The narrative time of the novel is 346 pages.
It consists of a prologue, 68 chapters and an epilogue.
24
The time told is a number of months. It begins on the eve of Greg's

left for Stellenbosch, at the end of January, where he a year after he
wrote matric, went to study. The flashbacks such as the prologue depicting Xander
Gericke as a twelve-year-old boy are not part of the narrated time. This serves as background
to motivate Xander's revenge plan. The flashbacks of Greg's matric year where he
says goodbye to Lawson and the court proceedings of his father's case highlight Greg's
inner conflict. It also shows the reason why Greg desires to put the Baker behind bars.
A specific indication of time is the Easter weekend, which usually falls on the
beginning of April is. Before Greg and Plank's departure to Turkey, he is busy with his
first semester's exams, around June. The events in Turkey, Italy and Venice take place
in a few weeks during the European summer.
In the last part of the novel, during Greg's visit to his father in prison, it is so cold
that the cold forms a cloud in front of Greg's mouth and he is wearing a thick jacket. It can
therefore be deduced that it is very cold in Pretoria, probably in July, the peak of winter in
South Africa.
So the time told is about six months.
6.5 Milieu – time and space
Milieu refers to the specific space and time against which the story takes place. In
some stories there is no reference to a specific year and the author creates fictitious spaces.
When the course of the story is written in order of time, the course of time is chronological.
If the present and the past are told alternately, the passage of time is fragmentary.
The passage of time in Dark Web is chronological. The prologue is written in the
third person and refers to the story of the twelve-year-old Xander who goes to call his father
in the study and announces that he has visitors. From chapter 1 to 68 and the epilogue are
told in chronological order.
The space changes based on where the narrator, Greg Owen, is.
In chapter 1 he is in his parents' house on the eve of his departure to Stellenbosch.
He studies at Stellenbosch University. During the Easter weekend he flies to
Johannesburg. He visits his father in prison in Pretoria. In chapter 28 he travels to Istanbul,
from there the space shifts to Italy. His overseas visit ends in Venice. In the epilogue,
Xander is back with his father in the prison's visitor area in Pretoria.
The space against which the story takes place can be divided per chapter:
Prologue: An unidentified space, somewhere in Johannesburg, in the house in
which Xander grew up.
Chapter 1-2: Gauteng: Sandhurst, Johannesburg.
Chapter 2-3: On the way to Stellenbosch, overnight in Beaufort West.
Chapter 3-11: Western Cape: Stellenbosch and Cape Town Airport.
Chapter 12 and 13: Gauteng: Oliver Tambo Airport and Sandhurst,
Johannesburg and Kgosi Mampuru II Prison in Pretoria.
Chapter 14: Western Cape: Clifton: Lawson residence and Stellenbosch.
Chapter 15-27: Stellenbosch.
Chapter 28: Western Cape: Cape Town Airport and Turkey: Istanbul Airport.
Chapter 29-46: Turkey, Istanbul.
Chapter 47-54: Italy: Rome (airport) and Florence.
Chapter 55-68: Venice.
Epilogue: Gauteng: Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, Pretoria.
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The space creates a certain atmosphere and has an influence on the characters in Dark Web.
South Africa
Gauteng
Sandhurst, Johannesburg
Sandhurst is an affluent neighborhood in Johannesburg. Greg Owen and his mother live in a luxurious
two-story house, where a chef cooks and they own a number of vehicles. Greg thinks nostalgically
of his childhood when the family was still happy and John was still alive. Many times his father
entertained his business partners and danced merrily there.
After John's suicide, the atmosphere in the house changed and John's room, which was left
unchanged, became a kind of memorial altar. Greg's mother was sad, lonely and unhappy in the big
house because her husband was constantly away, if he was there the atmosphere was tense. She
struggles to come to terms with John's suicide.
After Chris Owen's arrest, their house became quiet because no one wanted to visit there
anymore. Greg is also struggling to come to terms with his brother's death. The night before he leaves
for Stellenbosch, he and his mother talk in John's room.
In his room are souvenirs such as the photographs and the autographed rugby ball that
used to be part of Lawson's memorial museum. It is a silent testimony of a child who could not handle
the pressure his father put on him and chose death over life. Greg's mother admits that John's room is
a place where she is at her most vulnerable. She says that she can sometimes sense John's
presence and many times, when she was alone after John's death, she cried out her raw emotion.
Greg also feels John's presence and he even hears John's voice.
The house in Sandhurst is a place of dark secrets. The one that Greg the
most upset, is his mother's secret lover. Greg is disillusioned when he arrives home on
Easter weekend to find André Symington, his mother's crook, there. His mother admits that they have
been in a relationship for a long time and that there are many secrets that Greg knows nothing about.
Pretoria: Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, Pretoria
https://www.witsjusticeproject.co.za/uploads/kgosi-mampuru.jpg
Greg's father, Chris Owen, is serving a prison sentence in Kgosi Mampuru II prison.
He and Doc Pienaar are in the maximum security department: C-Max. This is where the most feared
criminals serve prison terms. They are in prison for their criminal scheme with Project Nursery
Rhyme. People died and thousands more would die too.
26
The atmosphere in the prison space is depressing and Greg is tense

he visits his father in prison. The prison has a negative influence on Chris Owen, moreover, his wife no longer
wants to visit him. His proud appearance gave way to a pathetic figure: His body is bent, his hair is grayer, his skin
is pale and his eyes are empty. He has a knee injury that he probably sustained in an attack on him. On page 77,
Chris's cell is described as a cramped space with flashing lights and deafening music. The watery porridge and
other unsavory food that the prisoners get is in stark contrast to the luxurious life he was used to.
Doc Pienaar is killed at the hands of the Baker and Chris is severely assaulted to serve as a warning to
Greg to end his search for the Baker. During Greg's first visit, it is clear that Chris blames Greg for causing his father's
crimes to come to light and for being responsible for his father ending up behind bars. In the epilogue, Chris apologizes
to his son, he forgives him and they reconcile.
Western Cape
Stellenbosch
Photo: University of Stellenbosch, red square. Photo: Sports Science Building – UV Stellenbosch
(This is where Xander shakes off Greg after the foot (The building where Greg attends classes.)
chase.)
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e2/a7/23/e2a723a46a1c453ec05c59a473704463.jpg
Photo of Sports Science building courtesy of Fanie Viljoen
The University of Stellenbosch is one of the oldest universities in South Africa.

The space where the university was built was initially known as Stellenbosch Gymnasium (1866). In 1879 the
building was named the Victoria College.
In 1918 the University of Stellenbosch was established. Part of the university was built on land that was taken from the
previous colored inhabitants through forced relocations (Group Areas Act no. 51 of 1950).
27
Stellenbosch's students are known as Maties and the university grounds are popularly
known as Matieland. The eponymous student publication, Matieland, was published for the
first time in 1957 to inform ex-Maties about the activities at the university. Greg studies
Sports Science and lives in an apartment in a secure security controlled complex close
to the university. He mostly walks over the wooden bridge of the Eerste River to the
university. He meets the art student, Chloe, who wants to involve him in the university
activities, but when he notices that the other students are acting antagonistically towards
him because of his father's involvement in a crime, he prefers to spend his free time at his
apartment to spend Dain February is the only student in his faculty who reaches out to him
and wants to be friends with him.
Photo: Lecture hall in Sports Science Building

Courtesy of Fanie Viljoen
He likes to work out in the gym and sometimes buys something to eat or drink at the
Workout Café after exercise. He, Plank and Lisa visit places like Kauai and De
Warenmarkt when they want to socialize. Greg follows Tom who was sent by Xander to talk
to Greg to the NG Mother Church. The next day, Tom's body is found under the wooden
bridge that Greg walks over every day.
Where other students live a carefree life and enjoy being a student, Greg is tense.
He is followed, his apartment is broken into and he finds a threatening message on his sliding
door.
Greg does not enjoy his visit to Thomas Lawson's house in Clifton at all. He
talking to an unknown man on the balcony. He and Thomas Lawson have a heated
argument in his study because Thomas questions his major.
A man with a "hoodie" watches Greg. He figures out it's Xander and
chase him into the Botanical Gardens where he disappears. The anonymous message 28
luring him to the holding cells at the information center lets the tension
increases, because he realizes that his father could be killed in prison and fears that the
Baker's people will harm his mother as well.
He is chased to Dirk Schutte's house, but manages to shake off his pursuer.
Dirk encourages him to continue his search for the Baker. He left for Turkey soon after.
Overseas visit
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravelsmaps.com%2Fistanbul-turkey-istanbul-turkey-map-map-
istanbul-
turkey.html&psig=AOvVaw066K8ZYCOF4Qb6tSaqald0&ust=1599987371868000&source=images&cd= vfe&ved=0C
AIQjRxqFwoTCJiTldCf4-sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABBM
Turkey: Istanbul
Photo: Istanbul
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/78017f85-554f-4f5b-a27c-19508dfae5a0
Turkey is largely located in Asia and borders Europe. Xander orders Greg to come to Istanbul
so they can search for the Baker together. Istanbul is one of the largest cities in the world with
a population of over 15 million people.
Plank and Greg admire the brightly lit arrival hall at the airport. The
Basilica Cistern stands in contrast to the arrival hall, because it is not well lit. Xander prefers
to protect his identity, so he didn't meet Greg at the airport, but instead at a half-lit space.
29
Photo: Istanbul Airport, Arrival Hall Photo: Basilica Cistern

https://www.google.co.za/search?q=istanbul+airport+arrivals&sxsrf=ALeKk03StE1AId9CSXZjlbx_WtUVxhG
B1w:1600512167919&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPtei5hPXrAhV0QUEAHVIEA-
UQ_AUoAXoECA0QAw&biw=1366&bih=625#imgrc=6K0gso3zjwvL5M
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/e339cb9c-d5ce-4796-a41e-26eba4d405a4
Greg looks in wonder at the image of Medusa (page 157) and reads the information about the story of
Medusa. It creates an eerie atmosphere and ties in with Greek mythology which is one of Xander's
favorites. The snakes on Medusa's head relate to one of the recurring motifs.
Photo: Basilica Cistern, Medusa's head Photo: Turkish flag in Grand Bazaar
Photo of Grand Bazaar courtesy of Fanie Viljoen.
Greg and Plank spend the night in a hotel after Greg has a fling with Xander who
distrusts him. The next day they go to Xander's house in the Balat district of the city. The house is
filled with the scent of incense that paints a mysterious background and connects with the
Turkish girl, Ayla's personality and background.
30
(Photos for illustration) Xander's place of residence in Istanbul.
In Xander's house, they research and plan how to lure the Baker out of hiding. They enter
the dangerous cyberspace of the dark web and Elsewhere's webpage and make contact with the
Baker. Plank and Greg explore the city and visit tourist attractions.
Plank's unwise decision to befriend a Turkish street vendor causes the Baker's people
to be on their trail and they have to flee in a hurry.
Xander forces Greg to choose between him and Plank and Plank ends up in the clutches of the
Baker.
31
Sightseeing in Istanbul
Photo: Hagia Sophia Photo: Gli
Photo: Blue mosque Photo: Topkapi Palace

https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/8650987f-bc43-4cfd-8797-a3c649bcb41e https://
ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/8650987f-bc43-4cfd-8797-a3c649bcb41e https://
live.staticflickr.com/3893/14489256282_0872b2670a_b.jpg https://
api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/ e1a189a6-11ee-4434-8dcb-57c63d000bdc
32
Europe: Italy
Florence
Photo: Florence, Italy Photo: Duomo – Florence, Italy

https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/c4e353c7-5436-4c12-8a8c-659d1b571071
https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/d1291ec0-bf8b-4a52-adb0-7d7c3a0fa759
Photo: Palazzo Vecchio Photo: Palazzo Vecchio
https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/5f538091-2c24-4074-bcae-6355443d6f67
https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/56a53cb1-279b-4caa-a679-687accebdc19
Photo: David statue, Accademia Gallery, Florence

https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/329cfa29-04e5-46d9-b828-3a3090e3da8c
33
Florence
The IP address of the Baker's laptop leads Greg and Xander to Florence.
They go home in a hotel. The address of the Baker is: Lungarno Amerigo Vespucci 32. Greg
goes to the address one night without Xander's knowledge. He sees a man and a woman.
They look at him as if they know him. Xander is furious when he hears about Greg's visit to
the address.
Photo: Baker's house in Florence. (Google Street View)
Greg wanders the streets of Florence and visits the Accademia Gallery. Florence is a city
in Italy known for its art treasures dating as far back as the Renaissance period. Michelangelo's
famous David statue can be seen in the Accademia gallery, while Botticelli's "Birth of Venus"
and Da Vinci's "Annunciation" are exhibited in the Uffizi gallery.
An elderly man strikes up a conversation with Greg as they look at the David
statue in the Accademia Gallery. Greg doesn't realize that it's the Baker standing next to
him. A woman's voice tells him that the doctor knows many things. The female voice
belongs to Valkyrie. Xander, Ayla and Greg later go to the Baker's address, but they are
already packed and leaving.
Greg felt scared when Xander jokingly pointed a pistol at him. Greg meets Dirk
Schutte in the Palazzo Vecchio. The news that Dirk tells him about his father, who was
attacked in prison and is in hospital, upsets him so much that he considers abandoning his
search for the Baker.
Xander manages to crack the Baker's laptop's webcam.
They find out that he is in Venice and follow him there.
34
Venice
Greg, Xander, Ayla and Dirk go home in an Airbnb accommodation in Venice. Xander doesn't like Dirk
getting involved in the search for the Baker. However, Dirk is an asset to the team, because with his
knowledge of police investigations he helps to compile a list of suspects.
Photo: Gondolas on the Grand Canal
https://live.staticflickr.com/7398/8727191597_3c47c83cac_b.jpg
Venice is a colorful place where tourists cruise on water taxis and gondolas on the Grand Canal. Greg
and Xander feel frustrated because they don't know how they are going to find the Baker. Greg
suspects that Ayla's father may be the Baker. On the Rialto Bridge, he tells her of his suspicions and
accuses Xander of abusing her in his opinion to get revenge on her father. Xander catches Greg and
Ayla kissing and is disgusted by what he observes.
35
Photo: Rialto Bridge, Venice

https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/f039cc37-02d0-4dc4-886d-3f402d816820
Xander has an emotional breakdown on the Rialto Bridge. For the first time he is portrayed as
defenseless. He confesses to Greg that he only wanted to help him because he was sorry for what he
had done to him and his family. There is a tense atmosphere between Xander and Greg
while Ayla is unsure of who she can trust. Greg and Xander decide to work together despite their
differences to track down the Baker.
Greg is working on the computer late one night. Then the image of the Baker appears on
the laptop. Greg takes a video of the Baker. When they watch the video the next day, Dirk recognizes
him and says that it is Doctor Sebastian Stadler. He metaphorically equates himself with the
devil and informs them that the police have been looking for him for years. Greg, Ayla and Dirk walk
around the Water City with mobile phones. They want to track down the Baker through
facial recognition technology.
Xander, who observes everything on the laptop, is angry because Greg left the cell phone in a hiding
place and goes to get a "power bank" from the residence.
Xander and Greg ran frantically to the place where the cell phone was left
the Baker's face appears on the computer screen, but they are too late to catch him.
They see Plank with the cell phone in his hand. He says that a woman is waiting for them in
the Royal Gardens. A nightmarish experience awaits Greg as he accepts a free cap from a street
vendor that is full of poison. He feels the poison's effects on his body, Xander has an anxiety attack
and Ayla and Dirk are captured.
Chapter 66 and 67 are the climax of the story. The tension builds progressively as the Baker tells his
life story. Greg's condition worsens due to the effects of the poison. The threatening rain creates an
ominous atmosphere.
Valkyrie and the Baker think they have the upper hand, but Xander takes precautions and
sabotages the Baker's lab by hacking.
Xander says that he will the Baker's latest project to the world authorities
36
announce Xander shoots the Baker dead, Valkyrie disappears and the Xanders think that everything is over and sail
away on the Grand Canal in the Baker's boat. The next moment a speedboat hits them and they are shot at.
Greg is devastated when his best friend, Plank, dies in the canal.
Photo: Royal Gardens

Courtesy of Fanie Viljoen.
Photo: Grand Canal, Venice
https://live.staticflickr.com/728/31554471745_75772e271b_b.jpg
37
Photo: Top view of Royal Gardens and Grand Canal

Google Maps
ÿ Direction from which Greg and Xander came running from the St Mark's Square side.
1. Plank is waiting here for Xander and Greg at the entrance to the Royal Gardens.
2. Valkyrie sits on a red bench.
3. The Baker makes his appearance here.
4. The boat they are fleeing with is anchored here.
For videos about Istanbul, Turkey, Florence and Venice, the

following links can be followed:
https://www.britannica.com/video/179470/Overview-Turkey https://
www.britannica.com/video/167573/video-Istanbul https://
www.britannica.com/video/180126/video- tour-Florence https://
www.britannica.com/place/Venice/Lagoon-and-tides
38
6.6 Use of language
The use of language in Dark Web connects with the characters' world and circumstances.
Language use is also character-revealing.
• Greg, Xander, Plank, Ayla, Chloe and Lisa's use of language is typical of young adults who
speak a type of slang that is a mixture of Afrikaans and English words.
• The older characters in the story use formal language. The Baker is highly intelligent so it
is appropriate that he uses figurative language.
• Due to Dirk Schutte's police background, he sometimes uses crude words.

• Thomas Lawson is English speaking. In the business circles in which he
move, the medium of instruction is mostly English, therefore English is a logical choice. •
The voice from the detention cells speaks Cape Afrikaans mixed with a
good dose of gang language specific to the criminals who are in prison for gang violence and
murder.
• The words from other languages that are used during Greg's overseas tour create
credibility and connect to the space against which the events take place.
• The choice of words in Dark Web is rich in figurative language. Imagery and
figures of speech are carefully used by the author to make this novel a literary masterpiece.
6.7 Theme
The theme is the universal truth behind the story. The truth of life that is contained in the story prompts
the reader to think and leads to insight. The central theme of Dark Web is: It is dangerous to
take revenge because you can get hurt in the process. Greg's mother told him: "The guy who
wants to take revenge has to dig two graves."
Greg's plan to get revenge on the Baker has tragic consequences. He loses his best friend.
His father is assaulted in prison and has to fight for his life. His mother is being chased and lives in
fear. Greg himself faced death when the Baker tried to poison him. Xander saves him from death, but
Plank is the tragic victim who faces death without living out his dreams.
Subthemes that emerge in the story:
Identity: Xander Gericke's identity, which remained hidden in the first novel, Underworld , is
revealed. For him it is important to keep his identity secret as much as possible. This is why he
meets Greg in a dark place, the Basilica Cistern. He uses a transponder to unlock his house's
door and unlock his laptop. He is furious when Plank makes friends with a Turk because he doesn't
want anyone to find out about him.
Unlike Xander, Greg is a familiar face as his photo has appeared in magazines and
newspapers. Project Nursery Rhyme and the accompanying court case were front page news,
so it is not strange that the woman at the guest house and the student at Windows recognize him.
Clothing and accessories betray a person's identity. Tom is wearing a T-shirt

with the Anonymous hacker group's mask on the front when Greg
39
met him and when his body was found in the Eerste River. The T-shirt emphasizes that he is
a hacker.
Masks and accessories sometimes obscure identity. Valkyrie wears dark-
rimmed glasses in court and sunglasses when watching Greg's apartment. The mask with the
short beak and feathers that she wears in the Royal Gardens connects with her name and
reminds one of a falcon. At the end of the story, her true identity is still unknown and she
disappears without a trace.
The dark web prioritizes anonymity. No one knows the identity of
is not the seller or buyer of "illegal" products on the dark web. The forged passports
Xander orders for Greg and Plank on the dark web create a false impression of their identities.
They are presented as Europeans, but are in fact South Africans. Greg manages to get
through customs with the forged passport.
Metadata reveals people's identity. When Chloe took the manipulated photo of the
pretend transponder in Greg's hand, Greg helped her wipe the information clean so her name
wouldn't appear on it. On page 226, Greg and Xander look for a name on the video's
metadata, but it has been scrubbed. On page 227 they make sure their own metadata
is removed.
The transponder planted in Plank's hand causes confusion.
This is the pivot around which the twist in the story turns. The reader suspects in
chapter 1 that Greg is going to die at the end, but then Plank is shot dead. The
transponder in his hand causes the police to think it is Greg's body being pulled from the
canal.
The Baker is identityless for most of the novel. His true identity is not revealed until
page 300. Doctor Sebastian Stadler was involved in Project Coast and Project Nursery
Rhyme, but the police couldn't track him down and nobody who knew him, like Chris Owen,
wanted to say a word about him.
Greg met the Baker on two occasions: at the Lawsons' dinner and in
the Accademia Gallery in Florence without knowing it was the Baker. In chapter 66, the
Baker reveals his background, but Valkyrie, his partner's true identity is never revealed.
Distrust/Suspicion: Greg sees the artwork "Broken Trust" at the SMAC art gallery
and thinks back to Xander who he once trusted and then just used him. Despite the mistrust,
he later contacts him to help him unmask the Baker.
Xander, in turn, doesn't trust Greg. He forces him to implant a transponder

in his hand. Greg tries to trick him by sending him a doctored photo, only to find
out later that Plank has planted the transponder in his hand and is forced to accompany
him to Turkey. When Xander finds out, he initially doesn't want to help Greg anymore.
There are several other incidents that cause them to distrust each other.
Greg doesn't tell Xander about the burned book. He doesn't tell Xander that he was at the
Baker's house in Florence. When Greg tells Ayla of his suspicions about Xander
who he believes is abusing her for revenge,
+she distrusts both Greg and Xander. Xander wonders if Greg is leading him around the
woods because he thinks that Greg has his own revenge plan and that he knows who the Baker is.
Dirk Schutte does not trust Greg near his daughter and forbids her to come near
him. Xander is suspicious of Dirk and thinks he might be working for the Baker. Dirk is
suspicious of Xander and Ayla. He thinks that Xander may be a psychopath. Greg's fellow
students distrust Greg because of his father's crime and keep him at a distance. Greg
distrusts Thomas Lawson when he
40
offer him help. Tom doesn't trust Greg and refuses to persuade Xander to help him.
Greg is constantly watched and pursued in Stellenbosch. This causes that

he is suspicious and keeps looking over his shoulder. He also breaks the rules of trust that
should exist in a friendship when he chooses Xander over Plank and leaves him bereft. Greg
himself later lacks confidence when he thinks about abandoning his search for the Baker.
Betrayal: Greg betrayed his father by revealing his crime and causing him to be imprisoned. Greg
feels betrayed by his mother having a lover and not telling him about it. It feels to him as if his mother,
whom he always protected, is no longer the person he came to know. Greg's father, Chris Owen,
betrayed Greg at a young age when he told him that he should have committed suicide and not his
brother, John.
Greg himself is not innocent, as he betrays his best friend, Plank, by choosing Xander
over him. Although Plank attempted to warn Greg, he betrays him by delivering him to Valkyrie and
the Baker in the Royal Gardens of Venice.
Xander regrets betraying Greg in his matric year because he

presented himself as a friend even though he was only out to get revenge on the Owens. On
the Rialto Bridge in Venice, Xander says that he regrets the betrayal and really just wanted to help
Greg.
The author ultimately betrays the reader. In the first chapter, the reader thinks
that Greg is going to die, but it's actually Plank who dies. The transponder planted in his hand
caused the police to think it was Greg's body being pulled from the Grand Canal.
Secrets: Greg's mother tells him about her inner struggle after John's death.
No one knew that she sometimes cried out her grief in the house in which she was confined. When
Greg went to visit his mother in Sandhurst, he was shocked when her lover answered the door. His
mother admits that the relationship has been going on for some time and that there are more secrets
in their family than he knows about.
Greg tries to find out more about the Baker from Doctor Trollip's wife, but she
don't want to say anything The other people he calls don't want to say a word about the Baker
either. Even his father is silent as the grave and tries to persuade him to abandon his search for the
Baker. The identity of the Baker remains a secret until his image appears on the computer screen
and Dirk recognizes him as Sebastian Stadler. Valkyrie's name and background remain unknown.
Greg tries to keep the fact that the transponder was implanted in Plank's hand a secret
from Xander, but in Turkey he finds out and is furious. The burnt book is initially Greg's secret weapon,
but Xander and Ayla discover it and an exchange ensues. Xander also doesn't tell Greg beforehand
that he hacked the Baker's computer and used Ransomware to block all the computers of his
lab.
Greg had never told anyone what his father had said to him after John's death. He feels
rejected by his father because his father would rather have him dead instead of John. His
father's words tore his whole world apart. This secret that Greg carries with him causes inner
conflict and causes tension between him and his father.
Other sub-themes that appear in the novel include: power, money, light and dark, dreams,
relationships, the role of a father figure, chaos and loss.
41
6.8 Motifs (imagery)
Continuous or recurring motifs are elements that occur throughout the novel. The
author uses appropriate images to give meaning to a certain object. It is also called a leitmotif.
Web: The word web is used in different contexts. It refers to the title of the novel as well as the
dark web on the Internet where you can obtain illegal goods. This author uses the figurative
meaning of a spider's web to portray Greg's inner conflict.
"Each pluck on the spider's thread of memories makes the whole web tremble." (page 44)
"The tension becomes a suffocating web around me." (page 75)
The search for the Baker is like a web that progressively tightens.
"Like a fine web's first thread being stretched." (page 48)

"He doesn't need to know about the web, which is adding more and more spider
threads." (page 109)
"... even a spider's web looks innocent until the fly gets into it." (page 303)
"Another thread of the web is being tied." (page 312)
"... as if the cobwebs of lies and corruption, bribery and death are gathering together." and
"Another thread of the spider's web comes to light." (page 334)
Snake: A snake is a sign of evil or danger. The word snake comes up continuously in the novel.
In the first chapter, the depressing atmosphere in Greg's parents' house is compared to a
coiled snake.
While Greg waits for Xander in the Basilica Cistern (chapter 29) he looks at the
Medusa head which is full of snakes, he thinks back to a statue in Stellenbosch where a snake
curls out of concrete. Xander is metaphorically compared to a snake, due to Greg's fear
that Xander will abuse him again, as in the past.
The criminals of Project Nursery Rhyme are depicted as snakes: “One snakehead, Doc,
is dead. Another snakehead, my father, is in ICU. A third snakehead, the Baker, is on the run
again.” (page 273) When the Baker is speaking in chapter 66, he calls the high-ranking
people such as financiers, bankers, militarists and politicians snakes. "It is like a multitude of
snakes crawling in an underworld river of blood." (page 338)
In chapter 1 and 68, the Canale Grande is the metaphorical snake that runs through the
city winding. The canal is dangerous because it's where the Gregs are shot at and where
Plank dies in the canal.
Water: Water is repeatedly referred to in the novel. In chapter 16, Greg and Tom meet in the NG
Mother Church. Greg sees the text above the font and the pulpit with the words, A River of
Living Water. Chapter 17's title reads: A river of dead water, this contrasts with the words on
the pulpit.
Tom's body is found in the Eerste River. The final chapters of the novel and the climax take
place in Venice, the City of Water. Xander throws the pistol into the canal after shooting the
Baker. He washed his hands in the canal and Plank died in the Canale Grande.
42
Photo: Palindrome
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Ambigram_palindrome_%CE%9D%CE%99%CE
%A8%CE%9F%CE%9D%CE%91%CE%9D%CE%9F%CE%9C%CE%97%CE%9C%CE%91%CE%A4%CE%91%CE%9
C%CE%97%CE%9C%CE%9F%CE%9D%CE%91%CE%9D%CE%9F%CE%A8%CE%99%CE%9D_%28Wash_your_si
ns%2C_not_only_your_face%2C_in_Greek%29.jpg/640px-
Ambigram_palindrome_%CE%9D%CE%99%CE%A8%CE%9F%CE%9D%CE%91%CE%9D%CE%9F%CE%9C% CE%
97%CE%9C%CE%91%CE%A4%CE%91%CE%9C%CE%97%CE%9C%CE%9F%CE%9D%CE%91%CE%9D%CE%9F
%CE%A8%CE%99%CE%9D_%28Wash_your_sins%2C_not_only_your_face%2C_in_Greek%29.jpg
The meaning of the palindrome "Wash the sins off, not just the face", alludes to water that must be used as
in fountains and fountains in various churches to wash away sins. The Basilica Cistern where Greg meets Xander is
called the Sunken Palace and used to be a water reservoir. Greg sees Xander in the reflection of the water. The
Baker refers to water as something connected with transformation, purification and cleansing.
Note the progression in the last few chapters. Clouds gather (page
320), the clouds rumble (page 327), it grows darker and the clouds descend (p.
328), the rumbling of clouds and the first drops falling (page 342), a heavy rattle (page 344). On page 346, it reaches
a climax: "Through the rain mists I watch them puddle... bright red streams." The gathering clouds and the eventual rain
support the growing tension.
Other recurring motifs that appear in the novel include: poison, fire,
mind control, devil, mountains, chess, pictures and bridges.
6.9 Symbolism
A symbol is a sign or object that represents something else. Symbolism is used in literature to bring out a deeper
message. The
43
Bluetooth symbol on page 22 is a combination of symbols that enable communication. Greg and
Xander are also brought together like this in the story.
In the novel, symbolism is sometimes used to identify a character trait. The Baker
and his business friends such as Dok Pienaar and Chris Owen are represented as snakes . Snakes
indicate danger, mischief and evil. Greg calls Xander a snake because he knows what he's capable
of. Greg also thinks of him as the devil with whom he has to make a deal to cut off another snake's
(The Baker's) head.
Churches and crosses represent Christianity and holiness from the earliest centuries.
Place names can have symbolic meaning. Like the Hagia Sophia which is also known as Holy
Wisdom. On page 205 is a short history which indicates that the church has been burnt down time
and time again, but has been rebuilt - it is as if Holy Wisdom prevails. On page 208, Holy Wisdom
takes on a deeper meaning when Plank asks if they have indeed found holy wisdom. He gets
philosophical about it: “Holy and Unholy. Good and Evil - both are within you and there is a
thin line that separates the two."
It's ironic that Tom chooses a church to meet Greg because Tom is Xander's friend
who helped him get revenge on the Owens. The church in this case symbolizes safety, but
something lies hidden under this church floor.
The cross against a window inside the Duomo (page 249) is a sign of hope for Greg. He feels
this is a sign that Plank is safe.
Water is a symbol of cleansing, healing and purification. The symbolism of Xander's
palindrome is that Greg must wash away his sins. On page 206, Xander says to Greg, “That means
water cleans us, Greg. Cleanse. But the palindrome also gives it another meaning. It is
symbolic of death and rebirth. In the reversal of the letters, their mirroring, it devours
its own image. Like Narcissus. As water cancels the forms in nature, the palindrome cancels sense
and meaning."
The Baker does not believe in washing away the sins. His blood mixes with the rainwater
after Xander shoots him dead. The symbolism of this is that Xander and Greg can become whole
again and move on with their lives. At the same time, the world is cleansed of an evil figure.
Objects such as the ring of Doctor Rian Trollip symbolize that he is a Freemason.
Freemasons use hand gestures or hand grips to show that they belong to this organization. Lawson
College, Greg's old school, also uses a secret handshake. Kwanele greets Greg as he leaves
school with the handshake as if he is still part of them. (p. 25) On page 26, Plank greets Greg in the
same way.
Photo: Masonic ring.
https://live.staticflickr.com/3107/2873332621_8342f83c1b.jpg
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6.10 Mythology
Mythology is used by the author to draw a parallel between myth and reality. This makes the reader
aware of the mythology and leads him/her to gain a better understanding of the characters in the
story.
Prometheus
Prometheus was one of the leading figures in the war between the Titans and the Olympian
gods led by Zeus. He later joined forces with the Olympian gods because the Titans would
not follow his advice.
Zeus was furious because Prometheus stole fire from the gods and gave it to the common
man. Zeus punished Prometheus by tying him to a rock and sending an eagle to eat a piece of his
liver every day.
Photo: A statue of Prometheus in Paris, France.

https://live.staticflickr.com/2192/2391850210_e7be6c1585_b.jpg
Prometheus tried to do something good by giving mankind fire that could help make their lives
easier. According to the myth, he taught man how to use fire to make objects out of metal.
Xander metaphorically equates himself to Prometheus. He sees him on page 300 as

the "good guy". Just as Prometheus did something good for the people, Xander wanted to do
something good for his family. He wanted to avenge his father's death.
Along with that, he would also save the people from a destructive virus, although that was not his
main goal. However, Xander goes about it the wrong way. He tries to do good by doing evil - he
destroys Greg's family with his revenge attack and unmasks the "unholy trinity" of Project
Nursery Rhyme.
He later realizes the damage he has done because Greg is an innocent victim and is
not like his father. He unnecessarily involved Greg and his mother in the matter. Remorse eats at
him like the eagle that eats Prometheus' liver every day
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ate To make up for his misdeed, it supports his decision to help find the Baker.
Medusa
There are different myths about Medusa. One theory is that she was a beautiful young
girl who was seduced and raped by Poseidon in the temple of Athena.
The goddess punished her and turned her hair into writhing snakes and all who looked at her
would turn to stone.
It is ironic that she was punished because she was not the guilty party.
According to the myth, Athena could not punish Poseidon so she took out her anger on
Medusa. In addition, she was jealous of Medusa because all the men were interested in her,
so she made her ugly.
In reality, the innocent Greg is also punished for his father's misdeeds and for
unknowingly exposing his father. This can be seen as a parallel for the story of Medusa.
Valkyrie
The Walkure were female spirits in Norse mythology who were very dedicated in their task.
They supported their masters in anything, even if it was evil. They had a lot of strength and
fighting spirit and decided who should live and who should die.
Valkyrie is the Baker's wife and his soulmate who assists him. He calls her his Lady
Macbeth. In Shakespeare's play Macbeth , it is Lady Macbeth who encourages her husband
to kill the Scottish king, Duncan, and thereby ascend the throne.
Valkyrie was the one who had the plan to kill Judge Gericke with a
suffocate inner tube. So she is just as guilty as Doc, Chris Owen and Sebastian
Stadler.
Gordian knot
The myth of the Gordian knot dates from the year 333 BC. An ancient chariot, which
belonged to Gordius, was tied tightly with several knots. A challenge was made that
the one who could untie the knots would become the ruler of Asia. King Alexander the
Great cut the rope with one swing of his sword.
Photo: Image of Alexander the Great cutting the Gordian Knot.

46
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/b0db220a-115f-4c19-91e2-919ea427514e
"Untying the Gordian knot" is a proverb that means you solve a problem by forceful measures. On
page 273, the narrator refers to the Gordian knot of snakes that intensifies the image:
"In the dark world they sail and knot and curl over each other so that you don't know who is who,
where each one begins and ends. A Gordian knot of snakes.”
Just as the rope was cut by Alexander the great ruler, Xander also had powerful
measures in place to solve the problem regarding the Baker once and for all.
Photo: Gordian Knot

https://live.staticflickr.com/7409/11409270084_9c2a5af97a_b.jpg
6.11 Character portrayal
This novel is based on fictional characters. Greg Owen is the central character in the novel. He is
the main character or protagonist. Most of the events in the story revolve around Greg and he is
constantly in the foreground. Because the main character grows and character development takes
place, he is known as a round character.
Opposite the protagonist is the evil antagonist, the Baker. He is the antagonist
and one of the main side characters. The function of secondary characters is to illuminate the main
character and advance story events. The antagonist has an influence on the protagonist and
determines his actions and thinking. The Baker is a flat or shallow character because there is no growth
or development in his character. He remains in callous and implacable character throughout.
METHODS OF CHARACTERIZATION
Explicit characterization:
The reader gets to know a character based on the information the narrator tells the reader about
the character. What the other characters say about the character or think about him portrays the
character.
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Implicit characterization is conveyed by the appearance of the character or the representation of his
environment. Through the action of the character certain inferences can be made. The character's
train of thought and dialogue are revealing of his qualities. The way in which a character deals with
conflict informs the reader about his personality.
Greg Owen (Protagonist)
Greg was always used to the best because he grew up in a home where money could buy
everything. After a long court case, his father is found guilty of terrorism and ends up in prison.
Greg and his mother live in Sandhurst, but there is a gloomy atmosphere at home. A year after
matric, Greg buys himself a BMW 118i sports model from his trust account and leaves for
Stellenbosch to study Sports Science.
His mother initially thought that he was a dreamer, but later realized that he was rather a
rebel. In his matric year, he uncovered his father's and Doc Pienaar's shenanigans about Project
Nursery Rhyme by means of cyber hacking and this led to them ending up behind bars. Plank
jokingly refers to him on page 116 as: "The master of disaster." Greg feels guilty about his part in
his father's imprisonment. He sees himself on page 14 as "the guy his father threw to the wolves."
He feels sorry for his mother and still thinks about his brother who committed suicide.
He is bitter about the third member of Project Nursery Rhyme, the Baker, who is still at large.
He is determined to get revenge and catch the Baker even though the police couldn't even manage
it. Despite many warnings from his father and threatening messages from the Baker, Greg does not
abandon his plans and stubbornly continues the search. For Greg, his family is important,
he is concerned about his mother and would like to restore his family's name in honor by exposing the
Baker.
Greg sometimes appears uncertain when he doubts whether he is doing the right thing to
make the Baker pay, but he shows perseverance by not giving up.
In a conflict situation, as in the case of the altercations with the guest in Beaufort West, the unknown
student at Vensters and the meeting with his mother's lover,
Greg appears inept and aggressive. Yet there is a defenselessness in Greg. He cares a lot about
people because he wants to protect Ayla because he thinks that Xander is abusing her.
He is suspicious of Xander's true motive when he is willing to help him. Greg is alert and on
guard to identify and shake off pursuers.
Greg is loyal to his mother because he doesn't tell his father about his mother's
shenanigans. He is forgiving. He forgives his father for the injustice he did to him as a child. He
makes peace with Xander who deceived and abused him.
Considering both books in this series, there is a clear character growth in Greg. At the
beginning of Underworld he sees himself as "bullet-proof". At the end of Underworld , he realizes
that he wasn't as bullet-proof as he thought and that one actually has to wear a bullet-proof vest
against the onslaughts of life. At the end of Dark Web, on page 354, he comes to the following
conclusion: “... to survive in this world you don't need a bulletproof vest. You have to be bombproof.”
The Baker (Sebastian Stadler) – Antagonist
Sebastian Stadler is an elderly man with silver gray hair that he combs back. He likes heavy piano
music and wine; wears neat suits and has an umbrella with a gargoyle head. He seems seemingly
harmless when he is with Greg at the Lawsons
48
's residence and speaking in the Accademia art gallery, but he is constantly devising devious plans.
He is intelligent and knowledgeable about Greg and Xander's plans and movements. He is defiant and
full of bravado when he warns them that he will catch them before they catch him.
The Baker is an unsavory, sadistic character with many contacts that he manipulates
into doing what he demands. Dirk calls him "the devil himself". He is a slippery calant who always
manages to disappear when someone is on his trail.
Stadler's formative years on the farm, Uitschotkraal, gave rise to his violent nature. His father
was strict and abused him. He has killed and stuffed animals since childhood. He was fascinated
by death and chaos so he became involved in chemical and biological warfare. As a doctor of
virology, he was involved in Project Coast, Project Nursery Rhyme and his last project dealing with
mind control.
He is cruel and relishes telling Xander how they killed his father and disposed of his body.
He was also responsible for the death of his cousin, Rian Trollip and Dok Pienaar as well as the
attack on Chris Owen. He is so callous that he conducts experiments on defenseless babies to
control the human brain. He takes pleasure in seeing someone suffer.
The Baker suffers from delusions of grandeur and says that he detests lame people like his
cousin, Rian Trollip. He refers to Chris Owen and Dok Pienaar as dreamers and considers himself
superior. His mind control experiments prove that he believes he can control the future.
According to him , Valkyrie, his wife and soulmate, is his "Lady Macbeth" because she
inciting him to violence and murder. She has black shoulder length hair and a stern mouth. She
keeps a watchful eye on Chris Owen's court case and keeps an eye on Greg in Stellenbosch. Her
eyes are usually veiled behind glasses or a mask.
The Baker is impetuous and believes he has power over everyone and everything. Until the
at the last moment he is defiant to Xander regarding his father's murder, but three bullets from
Xander's pistol lead to his death.
Xander
Xander can be seen as the tritagonist. Through the revenge he took on the persons responsible
for his father's death, he involved and fueled Greg to take revenge on the Baker as well.
Xander Gericke lost his father at a young age due to the criminal activities of Doc
Pienaar, Chris Owen and the Baker. He had already taken revenge on Doc and the Owens, but
the Baker had disappeared without a trace.
Xander is a mysterious character who prefers to keep his identity a secret.
It's like he's building a wall around him. He is a hacker and has a dark side. He is suspicious when
Greg contacts him regarding the search for the Baker and sends his friend, Tom, to negotiate with
Greg. After Tom's death, he watches Greg from a distance and flees when Greg recognizes him.
He sends Greg a transponder to plant in his hand and is prescriptive about the
conditions for a meeting. That way he can manipulate Greg and also keep their communication
safe. He is angry with Greg for misleading him about the transponder and decides to leave him
alone in Turkey. His girlfriend, Ayla, brings out a softer side in Xander. She persuades him to help
Greg.
Xander is smart with technology and hacking. He is also rich and has made a lot of money
with Bitcoins. He introduces Greg to the dark web as they begin the search for the Baker. Greg
and Xander are constantly in conflict because he
49
wants to stay in control and doesn't like it when someone hides something from him. Although
he has a strong personality, he is emotionally scarred by the past. He hides it very well and
has anxiety attacks in uncontrolled moments when someone refers to his father.
When he catches Ayla in Greg's arms on the Rialto Bridge, he has an

emotional breakdown and appears defenseless. He also let his guard down when he and
Greg jogged together and he played with the kids in the street. He tells Greg that he just
wanted to help him and that he really loves Ayla. On page 348 ask
he apologizes again and tells Greg that he didn't deserve to be punished.
Xander is a sleepy cat. Plank says that he is always a few moves ahead.
He is callous and manipulative. He forces Greg to choose between him and
Plank, who revealed their hiding place with his friendship with a Turk. He leaves Plank at the
mercy of the Baker's people and is adamant in his decision.
Xander makes calculated decisions. He hacked the Baker's computers and
get all the information to get him framed, but don't tell Greg about it. It was his trump card
to use if they got into trouble. He forces the Baker to give the antidote to Greg and
disarm his men.
Xander is impulsive and emotional when he hears how the Baker killed his father.
He shoots the Baker dead in cold blood. At first he seems to be proud of what he has
done, yet he feels guilty about it. He undergoes a character change when he shows
remorse for what he did to Greg and his family. After the incident in Venice he disappears
again. One would think that he and Greg have become good friends with everything they've
been through together, yet Greg believes that it was just a "pact" and that Xander doesn't want
to be known.
Board
Plank is Greg's friend who went to Lawson College with him. He is always full of jokes and
enjoys his life. Xander calls him the "class clown". He meets Lisa and falls madly in love. Plank
is a good friend and is not angry when Lisa's father forbids her from seeing him because of
Greg's father's history. He and Lisa dream of a future together.
He is irresponsible. He smokes weed and plants the transponder in his

hand without him knowing what it is. In Turkey, he uses his cell phone to contact Lisa.
Even though Xander has forbidden him to make friends, he borrows his new Turkish friend's
cell phone to communicate with Lisa. His actions cause them to flee and he ends up in the
Baker's clutches.
Plank is forgiving and holds no grudges. Even after Greg leaves him to his own
devices and he is mistreated, he forgives him and tries to warn him against Valkyrie and the
Baker.
Plank is a soulful person who gets philosophical about the future and his dreams.
However, nothing comes of his dreams as they turn into a nightmare. He is fatally shot by a
bullet and dies in Venice.
Chris Owen
Greg's father is heartless and there is a lack of communication between him and Greg.
He makes a callous comment to Greg after John's death when he tells him that he should
have died instead.
Chris Owen became, as a result of his involvement with Project Nursery Rhyme
considered a terrorist and sentenced to prison in the Kgosi Mampuru II-
50
prison. He has a hard time in prison. He is thinner, his body is bent and he has a knee injury. His wife
no longer visits him either. He blames Greg for causing him to end up in prison. He has a holy fear of
the Baker and orders Greg to abandon his search for the Baker.
In prison, he is brutally assaulted by the Baker and ends up in the hospital's intensive care
unit. After his return from Venice, Greg visits him again. He asks for forgiveness for not being a good
father to Greg and absolves him of any guilt. He expects Greg to reject him as he rejected him
as a young boy, but Greg promises that he will visit him again.
Mother
Greg's mother is a stylish woman who experienced great grief with her son's death.
She could not come to terms with her son's death and her husband's business trips caused her to
become lonely. She is a loving mother who only wants the best for Greg. She gives him wise advice
and he takes it to heart.
She has a lover, André Symington. He lives with her and they go
on vacation together. Greg doesn't like the idea, but he stays loyal to his mother and doesn't tell his
father. He thinks that there is more light in her voice when they talk on the phone. She and Greg have
a very good relationship and she supports him in everything he does.
Ayla
Xander's girlfriend, Ayla, is from Turkey, but has a South African background.
Her parents work for Doctors Without Borders. She grew up mostly without parental
support and works for a company that monitors internet freedom. She is a positive influence on
Xander and they work well together as a team.
She helps him gain perspective when he makes impulsive decisions. She supports him in controlling
his anxiety attacks.
She is very beautiful and Greg has feelings for her. Greg suspects that her father might be
the Baker and that Xander is abusing her. She refuses to believe it, but is still suspicious. She
subsequently distrusts Greg and Xander. When it turns out that Greg's suspicions were wrong, she
sides with Xander and ends up disappearing with him.
Lisa and Dirk Schutte
Lisa has dark hair, blue eyes and an elf face. She and Plank have a beautiful relationship and dream
of a future together. Her father, Dirk Schutte, is an ex-cop and causes friction between her and
Plank due to his suspicions regarding Greg. He is the typical loving parent who only wants to protect
his child from danger. He later appears to be like a father figure to Greg when he asks him for help
regarding the Baker.
He unexpectedly arrives in Italy to inform Greg of his father's assault and hospitalization.
Dirk's experience as a policeman helps Greg and Xander unravel the mystery about the Baker. On
their return to South Africa, Dirk and Lisa continue to support Greg, who had to give up his best friend
to death.
Other characters: Thomas Lawson, Nicole, Tom and Chloe,
Thomas Lawson is a wealthy businessman who lives in Clifton. He temporarily acted in Doc
Pienaar's place as head of Lawson College after his arrest. He
51
condemns Greg for his part in the arrest of his father and Doc Pienaar. All of John's photos and
memorabilia, which were part of the museum in Lawson College, are returned to the Owens at his
behest.
Thomas Lawson does business with shady business people. He is the only one
friend of Chris Owen who attempts to assist them and invites Greg to a meal.
Later it turns out that he did it on the Baker's orders. He offers Greg help and tries to convince him
to venture into another field of study. However, his attempt backfires on Greg and causes an
argument.
Nicole is Greg's ex-girlfriend who is pushed away by her parents because she got a baby
from an unknown man. She tries to convince Greg to resume their relationship, but he is not
interested.
Xander and Tom are hacker friends. Tom meets Greg in the NG Moederkerk in
Stellenbosch to hear what he expects from Xander. He tells Greg that Xander is rich and
cannot be bribed. He is by the Baker's
killed people.
The art student, Chloe, is Greg's neighbor and a social butterfly. She tries to involve Greg in social
events, but fails because he prefers to be alone. Chloe helps Greg send Xander a doctored photo.
52
Section B: Post-reading
1. Contextual questions per chapter
Guidelines for answering contextual questions.
The following questions are based on the content of the novel. It is extremely important to
make sure that you have mastered all literary concepts before answering the questions. If
you are in doubt about the meaning of a term consult the glossary at the end of the reading
guide.
At the end of each question, the mark allocation is indicated in round brackets (..).
Stacked questions (where several questions are asked under one number) must be answered
in the order in which they were asked. Questions cover all cognitive levels.
Cognitive levels are indicated in square brackets [...].
Level 1 and 2 questions are literal questions that you will be able to answer easily if you
understand the content of the novel. Level 3 questions are slightly more difficult and
you will have to make inferences and think a little harder about situations and characters.
At level 4 and 5 you will be expected to answer critically and evaluatively.
Some questions require you to express your personal opinion. It is important that you keep
the content of the novel in mind in your answer and answer as completely as possible.
The cover
53
Study the cover of the novel and answer the following questions:
1. Who do you think is the person on the cover? Give a reason for your answer.
(2) [4]
2. What is the title of the first book in the series? (1) [1]
3. Do you think the space (background of the photo) is in South Africa?
Motivate your answer with two reasons. Where do you think it is? (3) [4]
4. Read the information on the flap text (the back of the cover).
4.1 Who is the main character (protagonist) in the novel? (1) [1]
4.2 What expectation is created regarding the main character? (1) [3]
4.3 Did the information on the blurb motivate you to read the book?
Motivate your answer. (1) [5]
5. Who is the publisher of the novel? (1) [1]
(10 points)
Motto and prologue
Motto
1. What atmosphere does the first motto of the novel create? (1) [3]
2. From which book is the extract of the second motto? (1) [1]
3. Do you agree with the third motto? Motivate your answer. (1) [5]
Prologue
4. What background do the terms like <htlm> and Reboot create? (1) [3]
5. What is the function of "reboot" in this novel? (1) [3]
6. Who is the "he" in the prologue? (1) [2]
7. Name the figure of speech in the following quote: "It is as if the darkness had
seized him..." (1) [3]
8. What does the twelve-year-old boy notice about the appearance of the persons
waiting at the front door? (1) [3]
9. How does the judge react when he hears that Doc sent the people to the
front door? (1) [3]
10. Explain why the judge tells his son to go and hide. (p. 10)
(1) [3]
11. How would you describe the father-son relationship between the judge and
his son? (1) [3]
12. Name the imagery in the following quote: "It's like monsters that have
entered the house." Is the imagery effective in your opinion? Give a reason for (1) [3]
your answer. (1) [5]
13. Give two possible reasons why the last paragraph of the prologue is italicized.
(2) [3]
(15 points)
Chapter 1
1.1 The first part of chapter 1 also appears on the cover of the book. What do you
think is the reason for that? (1) [4]
1.2 In which suburb of Johannesburg is Greg's parents' house located? (1) [1]
1.3 Name two advantages of the first person narrator. (2) [2]
1.4 What type of atmosphere prevails in the Owens' home? Quote a phrase on page
13 to motivate your answer. (2) [3]
54
1.5 Why didn't the Owens' friends come to visit their house anymore? Who is the only (2) [2]
"friend" they do visit? (1) [1]
1.6 What university is Greg going to study at?
1.7 What type of conflict does Greg experience on page 14? ("the guy who fed his own (1) [3]
father to the wolves")
1.8 "One also learns from the games you lose..." Critically evaluate why this statement (1) [5]
contains an underlying truth.
1.9 At the bottom of page 16, the narrator refers to "something" that his father
told him the day of John's death. What it was is not immediately communicated
to the reader. What is the function of the
procrastination technique? (1) [3]
1.10 How do Greg and his mother respectively feel about John's death? fetch
evidence from chapter 1 to motivate your answer. (4) [3]
1.11 Was Greg's mother happy in the house after John's death? Give two reasons for
(18 points)
Chapter 2
2.1 What type of car did Greg buy with his trust money? (1) [1]
2.2 Why does Greg take a picture of John's picture on page 20? (1) [2]
2.3 What inference can the reader make when Greg greets his dead brother
and imagines that he is greeting back? (2) [3]
2.4 What is the meaning of a "touchable woman"? How does what Greg's mother told
him the night before contrast with her appearance the next morning?
(2) [3]
2.5 "You are going to walk a long way..." and "The road is long..." (p. 21
Explain what the difference in meaning is from the underlined
words. (2) [3]
2.6 Explain the message that Greg's mother wants to convey to him
by the following words:
"Remember, the things you pack are the things you have to carry with you."
(1) [3]
2.7 What ghosts from the past does the narrator refer to on page 22? (2) [3]
2.8 Why did Eckardt Wilken (Xander Gericke) abuse Greg? (1) [2]
2.9 What connotation is attached to Eckardt (Xander) when Greg calls him "the devil
himself"? (1) [3]
2.10 To which subtheme can the reference "skeletons fall out of the closet" connect?
(1) [3]
2.11 Who was the acting principal of Lawson College during Greg's departure from
the school? (1) [1]
2.12 "Never burn a bridge to find your way in the dark." (p. 24)
Explain the meaning of the proverb. (1) [3]
2.13
Study the comments made by Greg's fellow students at Lawson College (p. 25)
during his last day at school. Do you think the comments towards Greg are
justified? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
2.14
Explain why Greg left the blindfold and the flashlight in his bedside drawer. (2) [3]
2.15
The memorabilia of John, which was in the memorial museum, was returned to the
Owens. (p. 26) Do you have an opinion on the fairness of this action (1) [5]
by Lawson College?
[20 marks]
55
Chapter 3
3.1 Which character trait of Greg emerges in the conflict between him and the
woman at the guest house in Beaufort West? (1) [3]
3.2 The woman at the guest house is not an important character in the novel.
What are these types of characters called? (1) [2]
3.3 Greg lives in apartment number 7. What is the symbolism of the number
seven? (1) [2]
3.4 Study pages 31 and 32. Express your opinion about Chloe Adams' behavior
towards Greg. (1) [5]
3.5 What suggestion lies in Plank's words: "Is it Hackers for Hire?" (1) [3]
3.6 What is implied by the Lawson handshake that Plank gives Greg?
(1) [3]
3.7 Critically evaluate Plank's opinion about his studies. (p. 33) (1) [5]
3.8 What do you think is the reason Nicole's parents forbade her to contact Greg?
(1) [4]
(8 points)
Chapter 4
4.1 What time of year is it? (1) [1]

4.2 What is the purpose of the O week? (1) [2]
4.3 Name the character trait of Chloe that emerges on page 35.
(1) [3]
4.4 Do you think it is important for first-year students to participate in social
events such as Windows? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
4.5 Explain why Greg views the social event and the other students as
frivolous and silly. Give two reasons. (2) [3]
4.6 What are the "dark days" the narrator refers to on page 36? (1) [2]
4.7 What do you think is the reason for the strange woman's inquiries about Greg? (1) [4]
Why does she look familiar to Greg? (1) [3]
4.8 Explain why Greg did not want to participate in the Windows performance.
(1) [3]
4.9 Do you think the verdict of the unknown student at Windows is justified?
(1) [4]
4.10 "And I am alone among all these people."
Identify the figure of speech in the quotation and explain what is implied by
it. (2) [3]
(13 points)
Chapter 5
5.1 Explain why Greg's father would prefer that he study in a business field
instead. (1) [3]
5.2 "For this you need a tower of prescribed books."
Name and explain the imagery in the underlined words. (1) [2]
(1) [3]
5.3 What do you think is the reason why Greg doesn't want to have coffee
with Chloe or go out? (1) [4]
5.4 "It means I don't have to be stuck between four hours." (p.
41) What does the underlined word refer to? What other character is
trapped between four walls? (2) [2]
56
5.5 Which sport, which is part of his course, does Greg enjoy the most? (1) [1]
5.6 What is the connotation that can be attached to Greg's mother having more (1) [3]
"light" in her voice?
5.7 What is the name of the girl that Plank is interested in? Give a brief description (2) [2]
of her. (1) [5[
5.8 "... now you're sitting like a rabbit in a hole." Express your opinion about
the effectiveness of the comparison on page 43.
5.9 What subtheme that occurs in the novel is suggested by the Broken Trust
artwork that Greg sees in front of the SMAC Art Gallery? (1) [3]
(1) [2]
5.10 To which character does the title of this chapter refer?
5.11 Do you think Lisa's father was fair to Greg? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
(14 points)
Chapter 6
6.1 "Looks like I'm never going to escape from my father." (p. 46)
What is Greg referring to in the above quote? Who was Greg with
also conflicted about his father's misdeeds. (3)[2]
6.2 Explain in your own words what it means to become a clone of your father? In
what way is Plank a clone of his father? (2) [2]
6.3 Quote a phrase on page 47 that proves that there is a good trusting
relationship between Greg and Plank. (1) [3]
6.4 Explain why Greg thinks that Plank is a better person than he is. (1) [3]
6.5 What do you think is the reason Doc and Chris Owen don't want to reveal the
Baker's identity? (1) [4]
6.6 Quote a sentence on page 48 that relates to the title. (1) [3]
6.7 Explain why the last sentence of this chapter refers to the motor moment of the
novel. (1) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 7
7.1 Name three characteristics that the Baker might have according to Greg. (3) [1]
7.2 Who is Greg's prime suspect at this point? Why does he think that this person
might fit the profile of the Baker?
Give two reasons. (3) [2]
7.3 Do you think Chris Owen is also a Freemason? Motivate your answer.
(1) [4]
7.4 How does Greg access the information from PlusUltraMed's
website? (1) [2]
7.5 Explain why Greg's housekeeper, Doortjie, is a fringe character.
(1) [3]
7.6 Greg walks across the wooden bridge of the Eerste River. Which character told
him that you shouldn't burn bridges to light his way in the dark?
(1) [2]
7.7 Study Greg's fellow students' behavior towards him on page 54. Do you
think Greg deserves the displeasure of the other students? Motivate your
answer. (1) [4]
7.8 Explains why the search for Greg's prime suspect ends in a dead end.
(1) [3]
(12 points)
57
Chapter 8
8.1 How does Greg manage to get hold of Doctor Rian Trollip's wife's
contact number? (1) [2]
8.2 Give a reason why Greg suspects that Dr. Trollip's wife is under the
influence of drink. (1) [2]
8.3 Why doesn't the doctor's wife have a good word to say about her husband?
(1) [2]
8.4 Give a possible reason why the woman ended the call when she heard the Baker's
name. (1) [3]
8.5 What is the meaning of cyber maze? (1) [3]
(5 points)
Chapter 9
9.1 Name the figure of speech that appears in the following quote: "At least you (1) [3]
are a bucket full of sunshine."
9.2 What is implied when Dain says, “I know. Everyone knows." (p. 60) (1) [3]
9.3 What was the purpose of Dirk Schutte's visit to Greg? (1) [2]
9.4 From what can Greg conclude that this person was involved with the police?
(1) [3]
9.5 How is Lisa's father different from Greg's father? (1) [3]
9.6 Is the following statement denotative or connotative? Motivate your answer.
"There are things in this world that are darker than dark." (2) [3]
9.7 Name a character trait of Dirk Schutte on page 62. (1) [3]
9.8 Why was Dirk Schutte "boarded"? (1) [1]
9.9 Do you think that Dirk Schutte has recovered emotionally after his retirement from
the police service? Give two reasons for your answer. (2) [4]
(11 points)
Chapter 10
10.1 What expectation is created in the reader by the title of the chapter?
(1) [2]
10.2 Why are Plank and Lisa at odds again? (1) [2]
10.3 Who do you think is the man on the motorcycle watching Greg's apartment?
10.4 Explain what Greg gets in the package. (2) [1]
10.5 "The police could not find him. But I'm going." Who is referred to in the underlined
word? Name the character trait of Greg that appears in the second sentence.
(2) [3]
10.6 What inferences do Greg and Plank make based on the appearance of the book
that Greg pulls out of the envelope on page 67? Name two things.
(2) [1]
10.7 Study the diagram on page 67. Is the use of the diagram in the chapter
effective? Motivate your answer. (11 points) (1) [5]
Chapter 11
11.1 What is the meaning of Valkyrie or Walkure? (1) [2]

58
11.2 On page 69, explain why Greg is tired. (1) [3]

In what month of the year does chapter 11 take place? Quote a sentence on
11.3 page 69 to support your answer. (2) [3]
Air your opinion on the use of Ritalin by students. (1) [5]
11.4 Where is Greg going for the Easter weekend? (1) [1]
11.5 "An unknown woman still wants to talk to me about my father, but I ignore her
11.6 like a stop sign." Explain the irony in the underlined words.
(1) [3]
What does Greg drive to Sandhurst? (1) [2]
11.7 Do you think the last sentence in this chapter is effective? Motivate your answer.
11.8 (1) [4]
(9 points)
Chapter 12
12.1 From what can Greg deduce that the man who greets Greg at the door is
spending the night there? (1) [2]
12.2 "A bomb explodes in my head." Name this style figure. (1) [3]
12.3 Name two traumatic events in the Owen family's lives that robbed them of
happiness and carelessness. (2) [3]
12.4 Name the reason Greg's mother gives for André Symington's presence
in their home. (1) [2]
12.5 What is the name of the prison where Doc and Chris Owen are kept behind
bars? Explain why they are in this particular prison.
(2) [1]
12.6 Explain the meaning of the following sentence: "This is a place where hope and
despair are chained together." (1) [3]
12.7 How does the appearance of Greg's father on page 76 contrast with his appearance
on page 27? What can this changed
appearance attributed? (3) [3]
12.8 Is it acceptable for Chris Owen to blame Greg for his prison sentence?
12.9 Explain how Chris Owen reacts to the names of the Baker and Valkyrie
respectively. (p. 79) (2) [2]
(14 points)
Chapter 13
13.1 Who is the owner of the red car that Greg saw in front of their house
await? (1) [1]
13.2 What can you infer about the girl's unkempt appearance on page 81?
(1) [3]
13.3 "and take out a bundle of blankets ." (p. 81) Name the stylistic figure
in the dark printed words. (1) [3]
13.4 The girl can't even remember the father of her baby's name. Provide one
word to describe her behavior? (1)[2]
13.5 Do you empathize with the girl and her circumstances? Give a reason for
13.6 Explain why the girl was unsuccessful with the goal she wanted to achieve.
(1) [2]
13.7 Thomas Lawson is referred to on pages 24 and 84.
Why is it ironic that Greg's mother encourages him to go to the Lawsons' dinner.
Give two reasons. (2) [3]
13.8 "You and your hacker buddy have to leave me alone."
59
Who is Greg's "hacker buddy"? Who might have commissioned the message
written on the inside of Greg's sliding door? What does Greg think the person
who was in his apartment was looking for?
(3) [2]
13.9 What type of conflict does Greg experience when he considers approaching
Xander to help him in his search for the Baker?
What is the cause of this type of conflict? (2) [3]
13.10 Do you think it's fair for Greg to metaphorically equate Xander with the devil?
(14 marks)
Chapter 14
14.1 "... my face as smooth as a computer screen." (p. 87) Evaluate the appropriateness
of this comparison of the narrator. (1) [5]
14.2 How does Greg feel about the meal at the Lawson residence? (1) [3]
14.3 Explain why Thomas Lawson's wife is a “trophy wife”. (1) [3]
14.4 Name three of the important guests who attended the Lawsons' dinner
wash. (3) [1]
14.5 Describe the man talking to Greg on the balcony. What is the man's name?
(2) [2]
14.6 Which one of the things the man did as a child would you not consider to be evil?
14.7 Give two reasons for the conflict between Greg and Thomas Lawson. (2) [3]
14.8 In what way does Greg connect with Xander? (1) [1]
(13 points)
Chapter 15
15.1 What is a palindrome? Explain the meaning of the message Xander sent Greg.
What do you think Xander wants to achieve with this message? (2) [2]
(1) [3]
15.2 Does Greg like Lisa? Give a reason for your answer. (1) [2]
15.3 What action (p. 97) by Greg shows that he is well educated? (1) [3]
15.4 Greg tells Lisa a few things about Plank. Name one of the anecdotes Greg
tells her. (1) [1]
15.5 Do you think it's acceptable for Greg to tell Lisa personal things that Plank is
embarrassed about? Motivate your answer.
15.6 What influence does Lisa have on Plank? (1) [4]
15.7 Do you think Greg's confession to Xander at the end of this chapter is sincere? (1) [3]
Explain. (1) [4]
(9 marks)
Chapter 16
16.1 Why is Tom considered a ghost from the past? (1) [2]
16.2 What connection is there between Tom's T-shirt and his friendship with Xander?
Name two things. (2) [3]
16.3 Why do you think Tom met Greg in the NG Mother Church.
16.4 What strange information about the church does Tom share with Greg? (1) [4]
16.5 Give two possible reasons why Greg's approach of persuading Xander to cooperate (1) [1]
with him through Tom was not successful.
(2) [3]
(7 marks)
Chapter 17
60
17.1 Where does Greg hide the burned book in his apartment? (1) [2]
17.2 Who should Greg share his food with? (3) [1]
17.3 Why does Chloe call Greg a sneak? (1) [3]
17.4 How does Chloe want to use Greg's knowledge of hacking to her own
advantage? (1) [3]
17.5 What horrible discovery does Greg make on his way to class the next morning?
(1) [3]
(7 points)
Chapter 18
18.1 Why does Greg think the police will not find evidence regarding Tom's death?
(1) [3]
18.2 Who is the guest professor in Greg's physiology class? (1) [1]
18.3 Do you agree with the guest professor that Greg is ignorant about using
stimulants? (p. 108-109) Motivate your answer. (1) [5]
18.4 Name two warnings the Baker gives Greg to abandon his search for him.
Which one of these warnings upsets him the most? Motivate (2) [2]
18.5 Why does Greg wonder if Tom just happened to leave his body in that particular
spot? (1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 19
19.1 Explain why Xander is wearing a “hoodie” while watching Greg?

(1) [1]
19.2 Why do you think Xander is in Stellenbosch? (1) [4]
19.3 What direction did Xander run when he saw Greg notice him? Give a (1) [1]
possible reason why he runs away? (1) [3]
19.4 Why can't Greg catch up to Xander? (1) [2]
(5 points)
Chapter 20
20.1 Name the following figure of speech:

20.1.1 "... with the little windows that make the place look like a mouth whistle."
20.1.2 (2) [2]
20.2 "... Plank don't get away from this cookie cutter life."
Plank calls Greg "The master of disaster." Do you agree with this expression? (1) [4]
20.3 Motivate your answer.
Who does Greg think sent him the message to meet him at the information (1) [1]
20.4 center on Market Street? (p. 119)
Study the language use of the prisoners in the detention cells
on pages 121 and 122. (2) [3]
20.5 What type of language do they speak? What can you conclude from that?
How is it possible that the person in the holding cells addresses Greg by
name even though he doesn't know him? Motivate your answer. (1) [3]
20.6
Explain, in your own words, the meaning of the last two sentences on page (2) [3]
20.7 122.
Do you think Greg will abandon the search for the Baker based on the warnings
he receives from the Baker? Give a reason for your answer. (1) [4]
(10 points)
61
Chapter 21
21.1 What effect does the threat from the holding cells have on Greg? Why
doesn't he want to call his father to warn him? (2) [3]
21.2 Name the character trait that Greg exhibits when he sees the black car
chasing him? (p. 123) (1) [3]
21.3 What possible explanation is there for the black car that has no number
plates. (1) [3]
21.4 How does Greg manage to shake off his stalker? (1) [1]
21.5 Do you think Greg made a good decision to go and see Dirk Schutte?
21.6 What is the meaning of the "Gordian knot" on page 126?
21.7 Dirk encourages Greg to continue his search for the Baker. Explain the (1) [3]
irony of this in light of their previous encounters.
(1) [3]
(8 marks)
Chapter 22
22.1 What connotation is attached to Xander's name on page 127?

(1) [3]
22.2 Who does Greg get the Ritalin from? (1) [2]
22.3 Why does Greg initially want to ignore the email (p. 128)? Who is the
sender of this email? (2) [2]
22.4 What video is Xander referring to? (p. 128) (1) [1]
22.5 Greg loathes the video of Judge Gericke's execution, but at the same time
he also feels relieved. Explain this statement. (2) [3]
22.6 Who do you think sent Xander the video? Motivate your answer.
(2) [4]
22.7 How does the prologue relate to this chapter? (1) [3]
(10 marks)
Chapter 23
23.1 What difference is there between Doc's cruelty in Judge Gericke's

execution and his involvement in Project Nursery Rhyme? (2) [3]
23.2 The video the Baker sent to Xander has the opposite effect on
him. Explain this statement. (2) [3]
23.3 Explain why the conversation between Xander and Greg on page
134 is italicized. (1) [2]
23.4 "The fox is now in the sheepfold." Explain the connotative meaning
of this quotation. (1) [3]
23.5 Explain why Xander sends Greg a laptop even though he has one
himself? (1) [3]
23.6 Cite an example of sound imitation on page 135. (1) [2] (8 marks)
Chapter 24
24.1 What is in the second package that Greg receives? (4) [1]
24.2 Name two advantages of biohacking equipment. (p. 137) (2) [2]
Do you think Greg would allow a transponder to be planted in his
hand? Motivate your answer.
24.3 What is Xander's instruction to Greg regarding the (1) [4]
transponder?
62
24.4 Why does Xander want a picture of the implant in Greg's hand (1) [2]
have?
24.5 Explain the reason why Xander insists on a transponder and not (1) [3]
giving Greg a normal password to unlock the laptop.
24.6 (1) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 25
25.1 How does the space of Chloe's apartment on page 139 connect with her
personality? (1) [3]
25.2 What does Greg offer Chloe in exchange for her help in manipulating the
photo? (1) [2]
25.3 What is Greg's goal with the manipulated photo? (2) [3]
25.4 Do you think the doctored photo will fool Xander?
25.5 Study Greg's attitude regarding the political circumstances
on page 141. Do you think Greg's attitude is acceptable? Motivate
25.6 What does Greg find in his apartment when he gets back from Chloe? How (1) [2]
could these circumstances derail his plans with Xander? (1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 26
26.1 Explain why Plank planted the transponder in his hand.

(2) [2]
26.2 Name two character traits that Plank reveals through his act of
planting the transponder in his hand. (2) [3]
26.3 Explain why the reference to "Hannibal the Cannibal" is intertextual.
What is the connection between this reference and the condition of the
apartment? (2) [3]
26.4 Why might the wound on Plank's skin become septic? (1) [1]
26.5 What is Plank's suggestion regarding the transponder in his hand? Why (1) [1]
is this not a good solution? (1) [3]
26.6 Explain why Plank did not show that he was in pain when Greg disinfected
the wound? (1) [2]
(10 points)
Chapter 27
27.1 "At least you are so gullible. I activated the transponder. Now you are
mine."
27.1.1 What is the meaning of "gullible"? (1) [2]
27.1.2 What is the purpose of the transponder? (1) [1]
27.1.3 Is Xander right in thinking that he now owns Greg? Motivate your answer.
(1) [3]
27.1.4 Express your opinion about the effectiveness of the words in the
quote. (1) [5]
27.2 Provide a reason why Greg should destroy his personal laptop and his (1) [2]
cell phone.
27.3 Where does Xander want to meet Greg? (1) [1]
27.4 Study page 147. What time of year do you think it is? Give a reason for
27.5 Greg has to choose between the exam and the Baker. What would
you do if you were in the same situation? (1) [5]
63
27.6 Explain why Plank should travel to Turkey together. What should he do to get
money for his plane tickets? (2) [2]
27.7 Describe the contrast between Plank and Greg's visit to Turkey. (1) [3]
(12 points)
Chapter 28
28.1 Why is Greg paranoid about the people at the airport? (1) [3]
28.2 What are the "other smoking items" that Plank may not take with him. (1) [1]
28.3 Who does Greg call at the airport? (1) [1]
28.4 Explain why Greg's reference to "Suicide Sunday" is inappropriate.
(1) [3]
28.5 What does Mother mean when she says that she longs for her whole life? (1) [3]
28.6 Do you think it was wise of Greg to call his mother before destroying the cell
phone as Xander ordered. Motivate your answer.
(1) [4]
28.7 How does the space of the Istanbul airport arrival hall contrast with
Greg's state of mind? (2) [3]
28.8 What does the proverb: "Lux hominum vita" refer to? Give two reasons why (1) [2]
Greg does not believe the proverb? (2) [3]
28.9 What is the possible reason why Xander does not want to meet Greg at
the airport? Where should Greg meet Xander? (2)[3,2]
(13 points)
Chapter 29
29.1 "It is a vibrant city that straddles Asia and Europe." Name the imagery in
the underlined words. (1) [2]
Express your opinion about the success of the imagery. (1) [5]
29.2 What is characteristic in the architecture of Istanbul? (2) [2]
29.3 Explains why Plank can't go into the Basilica Cistern with Greg.
(1) [3]
29.4 What is the other name for the Basilica Cistern? Why is the name appropriate (1) [1]
for this attraction? (1) [3]
29.5 Explain why the space in the meeting place is a suitable meeting
place for Xander. (1) [3]
29.6 Snakes are a recurring motif in the novel. What is the function
of the Medusa head in this chapter? (1) [3]
29.7 Study the myth about Medusa on page 157. It turns out that Medusa
was actually an innocent victim of the wrath of Athena. Name two innocent
victims of the Baker. (2) [2]
29.8 "Who knows if I'm waiting for a snake now?" Is the snake in this quote
denotative or connotative? Explain why Greg refers to the person as a snake.
(2) [3]
29.9 What does Xander mean when he asks Greg if he is "online" yet? How
does Xander's personality match the reference. (2) [3]
(15 points)
Chapter 30
30.1 Why did Greg flinch when Xander's hand moved to his pants pocket? (1) [2]
30.2 Explain why the meeting between Greg and Xander is tense.
(1) [3]
30.3 What character trait of Xander comes out when he forces Greg to say that
he is right? (1) [3]
30.4 Give a reason why Xander is photo shy. (1) [3]
64
30.5 Explain why Xander throws away Greg's SIM card. (1) [2]
What is Xander's reaction when he realizes that Greg didn't plant the transponder
30.6 in his hand? Do you think his actions are acceptable? Motivate your answer with two (1) [3]
reasons.
Name two sub-themes that can be observed on page 161. (2) [4]
30.7 (2) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 31
31.1 Name two attractions in Istanbul. (page 163) (2) [1]

31.2 Greg and Plank are on their own in Istanbul. What do they decide to do?
(2) [2]
31.3 Why doesn't Plank want to send his kids to Lawson College? (p. 165)
(1) [3]
31.4 Do you think Greg is happy to see Xander? (p. 166) Give a reason for your answer.
(1) [4]
31.5 Why does Xander call Plank "the class clown"? (1) [3]
31.6 Who talked Xander into giving Greg another chance? (1) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 32
32.1 What place in South Africa does Greg think of when he observes the space of the Balat
district? What similarity is there between the two spaces?
(2) [2]
32.2 Name three languages that Ayla can speak. (3) [1]
32.3 What type of atmosphere does the smell of incense create in Xander and Ayla's
apartment? (1) [3]
32.4 Where do Ayla's parents work? (1) [1]
32.5 Explain why Greg wanted to stop Plank from drinking the lemonade.
(1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 33
33.1 "Enough of all the pretty-pretty." Give a synonym for the underlined word.
(1) [2]
33.2 What is the similarity between Greg and Xander's intention to track down the Baker?
(1) [3]
33.3 Air your opinion on the lack of freedom of speech in Turkey. (p. 173)
(1) [5]
33.4 What is the cause and effect of the external conflict between Greg and Xander on
page 173-174? How is the conflict resolved?
(4) [3]
33.5 What was the real reason for Xander's visit to Stellenbosch?
(1) [2]
33.6 Do you think it's smart of Greg not to tell Xander about the burned book? Motivate your
answer. (1) [4]
33.7 What does Xander do in the morning for relaxation? (1) [1]
(10 points)
Chapter 34
34.1 What connection is there between the content of this chapter and the title of the novel?
(1) [3]
34.2
65
Explain the irony in Plank's idea of the dark web (p. (1) [3]
178) and reality.
34.3 What do you think is the function of the reference to the specific brand
name of the pen. (Montblanc pen/ Clue: read the prologue again)
(1) [4]
34.4 Study the sketch on page 180. Do you think the use of the sketch is
functional? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
34.5 What benefit of the dark web facilitates Greg-their search for the Baker?
(1) [3]
34.6 Name two of Xander's prescriptions on page 182-183
regarding the use of the dark web. (2) [2]
34.7 Explain the irony in the following words: "Don't click on weird stuff." (p. 183)
(1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 35
35.1 Who did Plank make friends with? Why is Xander mad about this?
(2) [3]
35.2 Evaluate the justification in Xander's act of breaking Plank's cell phone?
(2) [5]
35.3 How does Plank deal with the conflict between him and Xander? (1) [2]
35.4 Name two characteristics of the Baker that Greg identifies them on page
187-188. (2) [2]
35.5 How do they plan to get hold of the Baker on the dark web?
(1) [2]
35.6 "The silence is resounding." Name the style figure. (1) [3]
35.7 Why is it essential for the group to do research? (1) [3}
(10 points)
Chapter 36
36.1 Explain why Xander is angry about keeping the burned book a secret?
(1) [3]
36.2 What clue does Xander find in the book? What inference does he draw from
that? (2) [3]
36.3 What is Plank's reaction when he hears that Xander knows about the
burned book? How does he know about the book? (2) [2]
36.4 What is the result of the discovery of the book? (1) [3]
(6 points)
Chapter 37
37.1 Study the narrator's comparison in the second paragraph of page 196. Is
the comparison appropriate within the framework of Greg's background?
Motivate your answer. Explain what is meant by "tackle". (1) [4]
(1) [3]
37.2 What product is banned on the dark web? (1) [1]
37.3 On page 197, does Ayla have reason to be afraid? Give a reason for your
answer. (1) [3]
37.4 What influence does Ayla have on Xander? (1) [2]
37.5 "Okay, who's Novichok?" What can the reader infer about this question from
Plank? (1) [3]
(6 points)
Chapter 38
66
38.1 What is Novichok? (1) [1]

In what way do they want to use Novichok in their search for the Baker? Name two
38.2 other places where they can cast bait for the Baker. (1) [3]
Who was initially responsible for the creation of the dark web? Give a reason why (2) [1]
38.3 they created the dark web. (p. 201)
(2) [2]
(6 marks)
Chapter 39
39.1 Xander suggests that they seek out "Holy Wisdom".

Explain the dual meaning of these words. (2) [3]
39.2 Study the last paragraph on page 204. What did Greg and Xander both lose?
(2) [3]
39.3 Who or what is Gli? (1) [1]
39.4 What is Xander going to show Greg on page 205? Why do you think he does this? (1) [1]
(1) [4]
39.5 What is water symbolic of? (1) [2]
( 8 marks)
Chapter 40
40.1 What does Greg feel guilty about on page 207? (1) [2]
40.2 Explain why the messages from the Chinese are immediately eliminated. (p. 208)
(1) [3]
40.3 Why is Elsewhere on page 208 and 209 capitalized?
(1) [3]
40.4 Is Plank of any real help in their search for the Baker?
(4 marks)
Chapter 41
41.1 Why is Greg shocked by Elsewhere's web page? (1) [3]

41.2 What connection is there between the quote on the introduction page of
Elsewhere and the motto of Dark Web? (1) [3]
41.3 What intertextual reference is there in this chapter? (1) [2]
41.4 What problem from Xander does Greg find out about in his conversation with Ayla? (p. 214)
(1) [2]
41.5 How did Xander and Ayla meet? (1) [1]
41.6 What can you conclude about Ayla's relationship with her parents? (1) [3]
41.7 What program does Greg use that can give them access to Elsewhere's website? Why
can't Greg immediately use the program to test his theory?
(2) [2]
(8 marks)
Chapter 42
42.1 From what can you tell that Xander is just as excited as Greg when they get the welcome
message from the Baker? (1) [3]
42.2 How does Xander feel about the Ritalin that Greg is on? (2) [2]
42.3 What do Greg and Xander do to ease the tension? (1) [1]
42.4 Why is Greg surprised when Xander picks up the kid in the street? (1) [3]
42.5 Greg's solution to the problem of accessing Elsewhere's web page is
remarkable, yet he pretends to be
67
is trivial. What character trait of his can you deduce from this?
(1) [3]
42.6 Do you think Greg is hiding something? (p. 221) Give a reason for
42.7 How do you think the Baker managed to determine that it was Xander
and Greg who sent him the message? (1) [4]
(8 points)
Chapter 43
43.1 What immediate reaction does the Baker's challenge result in? Name
the character trait of Xander that can be detected when he returns to the
apartment two hours later. (2) [2]
43.2 Name three ways Xander and Greg are considering to establish the Baker's
identity. (pp. 224-226) (3) [3]
43.3 Explain why Xander's hand shakes when he moves the mouse cursor to the
video icon? (p. 226) (1) [3]
43.4 Do you think Greg and Xander complement each other as teammates or do
each individual work on their own? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
43.5 Briefly explain how they plan to use a video to determine the Baker's IP
address. (2) [2]
43.6 Where in the world is the Baker at the point Xander and Greg are
determining the IP address? (1) [1]
(10 points)
Chapter 44
44.1 What obstacle stands in the way of Greg and Plank traveling to Italy? How is
the problem overcome? (2) [2]
44.2 Which character believes that technology will last forever? (1) [1]
44.3 "The more technology advances, the less human we become. That's why
people feel so lost. * We no longer know who we are, what we should
believe in, what our values are."
44.3.1 Do you agree with the first underlined sentence? Motivate your answer.
(1) [5]
44.3.2 Name the subtheme highlighted by the * underlined phrase
become (1) [3]
44.4 Do you think Xander's comparison of the mouse in the mousetrap is effective?
(6 points)
Chapter 45
45.1 What do Greg and Plank do to pass the time while they wait for their
passports? How long will it take for them to receive their passports?
(2) [2]
45.2 What does Greg buy his mother as a present? (1) [1]
45.3 The Basilica Cistern was a turning point between him and Xander
during Greg's first visit. In what way does Plank alleviate the seriousness of the (1) [3]
situation? (p. 232)
45.4 Critically evaluate Plank's personality based on his conversation with Greg on (1) [5]
page 233.
45.5 "Turkish sweets that moan from the sugar." (p. 234) Name and explain the (2) [2]
imagery.
45.6 (1) [4]
68
Do you think Greg and Plank will have problems at customs with their passports?
45.7 Motivate your answer. (1) [3]
How is the relaxed atmosphere on page 235 interrupted?
(9 points)
Chapter 46
46.1 Give three reasons why Plank is convinced they are in trouble. (3) [2]
46.2 Name two consequences on page 237 of Plank's misstep. (2) [2]
46.3 How do they manage to escape from the persons knocking on the door?
(2) [2]
46.4 On page 240, Xander presents Greg with a choice. He has to choose between
him and Plank. Who does Greg choose? Explain why he makes this choice. (1) [1]
Why does this choice cause inner conflict in Greg?
(2) [3]
46.5 What do you think happened to Plank after the others left? (p.
242) (1) [4]
(11 points)
Chapter 47
47.1 On page 243, the biggest reason for the difficult relationship between Greg and
his father is revealed to the reader. Explain this statement.
(2) [3]
47.2 "The world stopped for the second time that day."
What two incidents are referred to here? (2) [3]
47.3 Greg thinks that he is just like his father. (p. 244) Do you agree?
47.4 How does Greg view the relationship between him and Xander? (1) [1]
47.5 Who could possibly be the people they had to flee from Istanbul?
(1) [2]
47.6 In what way is the tension increased on page 245? (1) [2]
47.7 What is the name of the airport in Rome? (1) [1]
47.8 Name the hotel where they are staying in Florence. (1) [1]
47.9 How will the discovery Xander makes on the new laptop facilitate their search
for the Baker? (1) [3]
(11 points)
Chapter 48
48.1 What time does the sun start to set in Italy? (1) [2]
48.2 What is the symbolic meaning of the shadow of the cross for Greg?
(1) [3]
48.3 What valuable find do Xander and Greg find on the Baker's laptop?
(2) [3]
48.4 Do you think Greg made the right decision to go to the Baker's physical address
without telling Xander? Give two reasons for your answer.
(2) [4]
48.5 Who does Greg see and what does he hear at the Baker's house? (2) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 49
49.1 Xander is adamant about Plank. Do you think he did the right thing in leaving
Plank behind in Turkey? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
49.2 (1) [3]
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How does Xander react when he finds out that Greg was at the Baker's house the night
before? Are Xander's actions acceptable? Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
49.3 Greg walks the streets of Florence to get away from the conflict with Xander.
Where is he going? Who is he having a conversation with at the David statue?
What is characteristic of the object that the man holds in his hand? (3) [2]
(1) [3]
49.4 What do Greg and they find when they go to the Baker's address?
49.5 Who is the person in the black car following them from the Baker's address? (1) [1]
(8 points)
Chapter 50
50.1 Why does Greg suspect that Dirk Schutte is the Baker? (2) [3]
50.2 Name the imagery: "The sudden silence falls between us like a guillotine."
(1) [2]
50.3 What's in the package Xander receives? Where did he order the contents of the
package? (3) [2]
50.4 How does Xander unnerve Greg? (1) [3]
50.5 Air your opinion on this act of Xander. (1) [5]
(8 marks)
Chapter 51
51.1 What was Xander's intention when he pointed the pistol at Greg? (1) [3]
51.2 Who sent Greg a message? Where does the person want to meet Greg?
(2) [1]
51.3 How does Greg feel about Xander's pistol? What can you conclude from that? (2) [3]
51.4 Where did Greg also see an image of Medusa's head and the David image respectively?
(p. 267) (2) [2]
51.5 What is the purpose of Dirk's visit to Italy? (1) [2]
(8 marks)
Chapter 52
52.1 What is the bad news that Dirk tells Greg? (3) [2]
52.2 How did Dirk know where to get hold of Greg? (1) [2]
52.3 "The news cuts through me like a blade." What connection is there between the
comparison and the bad news that Greg receives? (1) [3]
52.4 What probably saved Chris Owen's life? (1) [3]
52.5 Do you think Greg's search for the Baker prompted the attack on his father? Motivate your
answer. (1) [4]
52.6 Explain why Xander doesn't want Greg to drink some of Dirk's water.
(1) [3]
(8 marks)
Chapter 53
53.1 Did the Baker manage to intimidate Greg? Motivate your answer.
(1) [3]
53.2 Greg metaphorically equates the partners of Project Nursery Rhyme with snake
heads. Is this metaphor justified? Motivate your answer.
(1) [4]
53.3 Did Uncle Dirk bother to track down Greg? Give a reason for your answer.
(1) [2]
53.4
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What parallel does the narrator use to describe the search for the Baker and (1) [2]
53.5 the associated obstacles on page 275?
What role can Dirk play when he joins forces with Greg and Xander to track (1) [3]
down the Baker?
(5 points)
Chapter 54
54.1 Explain why Xander doubts Greg's character judgment ability.

(1) [3]
54.2 What decision does Xander make to establish the Baker's identity?
(1) [2]
54.3 "... some of the chocolate is so thick that it can turn you into a diabetic
with one bite." Name the style figure.
54.4 What did the Baker do when he found out that Xander and Greg were on (1) [3]
his computer? How can they still the webcam
activate on his computer? (2) [2]
54.5 How do they determine where the Baker is? (1) [3]
54.6 Where should Greg and them travel to catch the Baker? (1) [1]
(7 points)
Chapter 55
55.1 To which city does the title of the chapter refer? (1) [1]
55.2 How does Dirk know where Greg and they are going to leave? Explain why (1) [2]
this information is ironic. (1) [3]
55.3 Explain the irony in the following words of Greg: "When you're
constantly looking over your shoulder, you mistake every shadow for a
ghost, Xander." (1) [3]
55.4 Do you think Xander has reason to believe that Greg is up to his own
revenge plan? (p. 283) Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
55.5 "Remember, I sleep awake." Name the figure of speech in the underlined
words. (1) [3]
55.6 Where will Greg stay during their visit to Venice? (1) [1]
55.7 What does Greg give Dirk to help them search for the Baker? What does
he notice that they did not observe before?
not? (2) [1]
55.8 Name three suspects that Greg identifies. (3) [1]
55.9 Which one of the suspects (p. 287-288) do you think is possibly the Baker?
Give a reason for your answer. (2) [5]
(14 points)
Chapter 56
56.1 What proverb does the title of the chapter allude to? What is suggested by (1) [1[
the proverb? (1) [3]
56.2 Name the following imagery: "... candles begging for a cozier atmosphere..."
(1) [3]
56.3 Who took the video of Judge Gericke's execution? (1) [1]
56.4 What conclusion does Greg come to when he suspects that Ayla's father
is the Baker? Do you agree with this conclusion of his? Motivate your answer. (1) [3]
(1) [5]
(6 points)
Chapter 57
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57.1 What can you infer from Greg's decision to warn Ayla? (2) [3]
57.2 Where does Greg find Ayla? (1) [1]
Say in your own words what the following means: "chirping nest of languages".
57.3 (p. 293) (1) [3]
Explains why Ayla doesn't want to believe Greg's theory about her father
57.4 and Xander. (2) [3]
Why does Ayla doubt that her father might be the Baker? (1) [2]
57.5 "He worked himself into your life like a virus." What connection is there between
57.6 the equation and the Baker? (1) [3]
Do you think it's acceptable for Greg and Ayla to kiss on page 296?
58.7 Motivate your answer. (1) [4]
(9 marks)
Chapter 58
58.1 What explanation does Xander give for his presence in Jeffreys Bay the night
Greg caught him in the hallway? (2)
58.2 Why does Xander call Greg G-4ce? [2] (1) [3]
58.3 Study Xander's action on the Rialto Bridge on page 298. What is happening
to Xander? Name a previous occasion where he acted similarly.
(2) [3]
58.4 To whom is Prometheus metaphorically equated on page 299-300?
Explain what is implied by it. (1) [2]
58.5 Greg refuses to believe Xander about his remorse. Do you agree with him? (1) [3]
Motivate your answer by a critical evaluation of Xander's character.
(1) [5]
(8 marks)
Chapter 59
59.1 Why is Greg sitting in front of Xander's laptop late that night?
(1) [2]
59.2 Write down two quotes on page 303 that relate to the title of the novel.
(2) [3]
59.3 Explain the possible reason why Greg is rummaging through Xander's files
on his computer. (1) [3]
59.4 What does Greg hear when he watches the Baker's webcam? (3) [1]
59.5 Who do you think is the woman who can be heard in the background? (1) [4] (8 marks)
Chapter 60
60.1 What does the Baker look like? Why does the image of the man look familiar (1) [1]
to Greg?
60.2 How is the image of the Baker captured? (1) [3]
60.3 What project does Greg learn about? (p. 308-309) Why is he researching this
particular topic? (1) [1]
60.4 Who identifies the Baker? Explain how he knows who the person really is. (1) [2]
(1) [1]
60.5 Where did Greg meet Sebastian Stadler? Was there anything suspicious (1) [2]
about their first meeting that could identify him as the Baker? Motivate your
answer. (2) [3]
(8 marks)
Chapter 61
72
61.1 Explain what Xander means by: "Zeros and ones are all you need."
(1) [3]
What does Dirk tell Greg that strengthens the case against the Bakers?
61.2 (1) [2]
What is the war room referred to on page 312? (1) [3]
61.3
What is the connection between the battle room and the thread of the web being
61.4 knotted? (p. 312) (2) [3]
Where did the Baker grow up? What did he study? What was his ultimate occupation?
61.5 (3) [1]
In what way does the group want to track down the Baker?
61.6 (1) [1]
(9 points)
Chapter 62
62.1 In what way can the video of the Baker be used to locate the Baker?
(1) [2]
62.2 Explain why Dirk says on page 315: "Big Brother is watching you." This
reference is a quote from another text. What is this literary term called?
(2) [3]
62.3 What supplies does the group acquire to track down the Baker? What type of
program should they download from the Internet? (2) [2]
62.4 What do you think is the cause of Greg's nightmare? (p. 317) (2) [4]
62.5 Explains why Xander has a pistol in his hand when he walks into Greg's room.
(1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 63
63.1 In which area will the group concentrate their search? Give a reason for your answer.
(2) [2]
63.2 Explain why everyone needs extra power banks
take along (1) [3]
63.3 Study the space description on page 319. What is characteristic of the space
of Venice? (1) [2]
63.4 Where does Greg sit when he starts filming?
Why does he later leave his hiding place and leave the cell phone behind? (2) [3]
63.5 What is Xander's job during the facial recognition search?
(1) [1]
63.6 Why is Xander upset when Greg arrives at their place? (1) [3]
Does he have reason to be upset? Motivate your answer. (1) [3]
(9 points)
Chapter 64
64.1 "... a tsunami in my body." (p. 322) Name the imagery. (1) [3]
64.2 Do you think it's acceptable for Xander to take his pistol with him when they run down
the street to get hold of the Baker?
64.3 What do Greg and Xander find when they arrive at the location where the cell phone
was hidden? (1) [1]
64.4 Who indicates to them the direction in which the person who took the mobile phone
walked? What does he give Greg as a present? (2) [2]
64.5 Why is it ironic that the peddler insists that they accept the gift?
(1) [3]
73
(6 points)
Chapter 65
65.1 What can you infer from Plank's appearance? (1) [3]
65.2 Where does Plank show them to go to meet the woman waiting for them?
(1) [1]
65.3 Study the appearance of the woman on page 327. How does Valkyrie's
appearance match her name? (1) [3]
65.4 How did Plank try to warn Greg? Explain why Greg did not see the (1) [2]
warning in time. (1) [3]
65.5 What contributes to increasing the tension? (2) [3]
65.6 How does Greg know that it was the Baker who spoke to him in the
Accademia Gallery? (1) [2]
65.7 Name two spaces where Greg has seen Valkyrie before. (2) [2]
65.8 How does Xander manage to control his anxiety attack? (1) [2]
65.9 Is the parallel of Lady Macbeth and Valkyrie on page 332
believable? Motivate your answer. (1) [5]
(12 points)
Chapter 66
66.1 What was the connection between Rian Trollip and Sebastian Stadler?
How did Sebastian Stadler's father contribute to the cruelty of the Baker during
his formative years? (2) [3]
66.2 Explain why Doctor Rian Trollip ended up in prison and how he eventually
met his end. (2) [2]
66.3 Name 3 signs on page 336 and 337 that show that it is Greg who has been
poisoned. (3) [2]
66.4 "Because I detest lame people." (p. 338) Name the character trait of
the Baker that is emphasized by these words.
(1) [3]
66.5 Explain why the quote on Elsewhere's web page is repeated in this chapter.
(1) [3]
66.6 What happened in the Baker's laboratory? Who was responsible
for it? Explain why he did it.
(3) [2]
66.7 Is the image of Alexander the Great and the Gordian knot appropriate in
the conclusion of this chapter? Motivate your answer. (2) [5]
(14 points)
Chapter 67
67.1 How did Xander manage to obtain the incriminating information about the
Baker's activities? What does he have evidence for? What does he plan to
do with it? (4) [2]
67.2 What is the Baker's new project about? (2) [1]
67.3 Explain how the weather and Greg's progressively increasing condition
contribute to increasing tension. (4) [3]
67.4 What does Xander order the Baker and his henchmen to do? (p. (1) [2]
342)
67.5 How is Greg's life saved? What was the cause of his poisoning?
(2) [1]
67.6 Water is a symbol of cleansing. What emotion does Greg experience
when it starts to rain? (1) [3]
67.7 Why was Judge Gericke's body never found? (1) [2]
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67.8 What prompts Xander to shoot the Baker? (1) [3]

67.9 How would you have acted if you were in the same situation as Xander
wash? (1) [5]
(17 marks)
Chapter 68
68.1 What snake does the title of this chapter refer to? How does this differ (1) [1]
from the references to the continuous motif in the previous chapter?
(2) [3]
68.2 What was Valkyrie's act after the death of the Baker? (2) [2]
68.3 Study the conversation between Plank and Greg on page 347.
Name two character traits of Plank that are observed in the conversation.
(2) [3]
68.4 How is the conflict between Greg and Xander finally resolved? (2) [2]
68.5 Xander washed his hands in the canal on page 349. Explain the symbolism of
his action. How does this tie in with the palindrome he sent Greg?
(2) [3]
68.6 How is the peaceful atmosphere that prevails among the group on the boat
disturbed? (2) [2]
68.7 "If you want revenge, you have to dig two graves." Critically evaluate how
this proverb applies to both Xander and Greg. (2) [5]
68.8 What is the connection between chapter 1 and 68? (2) [3]
68.9 Why did the papers report that it was Greg Owen who was dead? (1) [2] (18 marks)
Epilogue
What is the function of the computer term in the epilogue? (1) [3]
1. 2. What type of narrator is used in the epilogue? Why do you think this type of (1) [1]
narrator is effective within the context of the novel?
(1) [4]
3. In what space does the epilogue take place? (1) [1]
4. Whose funeral is referred to in the epilogue? (1) [1]
5. How is the inner conflict of Greg Owen defused? (2) [3]
6. Do you think Chris Owen got what he deserved? Motivate your answer.
(1) [4]
7. In your own words, say what the final sentence of the novel means. (1) [3]
8. What insight did the novel bring to you as a reader? (1) [5]
(10 marks)
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2. Essay type questions
The literary essay requires:

• a good knowledge of the plot and content of the story.
• a thorough knowledge of literary concepts such as space, conflict, themes and recurring
motifs.
• a thorough knowledge of the characters and their character traits.
The literary essay type question usually consists of a combination of the character and literary
concepts shown in the CAPS. It is not simply the retelling of the story, but an evaluation or analysis
of the question. It is important that the candidate writes in a structured manner and shows insight.
To write a successful essay you must:
1. plan ahead.
2. write a good introduction.
3. each paragraph begins with the main idea or statement.
4. support each statement with facts or evidence from the novel.
5. write a good conclusion in which you come to a conclusion.
Possible essay questions.
1. Donker Web is a developmental novel that focuses on the growth and development of the
protagonist.
Discuss this statement in an essay of 400 to 450 words.
2. "The guy who wants revenge must dig two graves.
Discuss this quote in an essay of 400 to 450 words.
3. In Dark Web , Greg Owen travels to Turkey and Italy, but at the same time he also goes on
a journey of a lifetime.
4. The prison space of Kgosi Mampuru Prison has a great impact on the life of Chris Owen,
his wife and son, Greg Owen.
Discuss in an essay the influence of the prison space on the Owen family.
5. The role played by father figures is in the foreground in this novel.
Write an essay of 400 to 450 words in which you discuss the influence of father figures on
Greg, the Baker, and Xander.
6. Water is a recurring motif in Dark Web.
76
Write an essay of 400 to 450 words in which you explain the role water plays in the
lives of Greg Owen and Xander Gericke.
7. “I know who you are now, Greg. You stay away from my girl."
Dirk Schutte is initially judgmental because of Greg Owen's identity, yet he later helps
Greg unmask the Baker. Discuss Dirk Schutte as a secondary character in an essay
of 400 to 450 words.
8. Distrust affects the relationship between Greg and Xander and hinders their ability
to work together as a team.
9. In an essay of 400 to 450 words, discuss the reasons why Greg and Xander are
considered outsiders.
10. In the climax of the novel, the tension increases progressively.
Example essay:
Dark Web is a developmental novel that focuses on the spiritual growth,

development and insight of the protagonist, Greg Owen.
This is a broad framework of facts. All the facts need not be mentioned. Any
other relevant facts not mentioned in the framework may also be correct.
Possible introduction: Dark Web is a development novel (Entwicklungsroman), because

the main character, Greg Owen's spiritual development, growth and change are emphasized
in the novel. The novel revolves around the main character's attitude towards life.
• Greg learns that you can't get rid of the past so easily. He
was firmly convinced that the past was a chapter of his life that he was closing and
was looking forward to studying in Stellenbosch. He is identified by a guest
at the guest house in Beaufort West regarding his father's misdeeds with Project
Nursery Rhyme. A student at the Windows performance loathes him for throwing his
father to the wolves. "You put your father in prison." (page 38)
• Greg is judged by others without them getting to know him. Greg's fellow students
keep him at a distance and gossip about him because of his father's involvement
in Project Nursery Rhyme and his imprisonment. Dirk Schutte forbids his
daughter, Lisa, from seeing Greg and Plank. Dain February is the only student who
makes friends with him. He says that everyone knows about his father.
"Looks like I'm never going to escape from my father. (p. 46)
• Greg becomes an outsider and avoids social events. Greg did
initially rehearsing with his neighbor, Chloe, and the other first years for the Windows
performance, but on the night of the performance he realizes that he
77
has changed and that he can no longer be part of the group. "That's not who I am
anymore." He withdraws more and more, doesn't want to go on dates with Chloe. Chloe
calls him a sneak because he stays in his apartment all the time. Plank says: "But
now you're sitting here like a rabbit in a hole."
• Greg is disillusioned by his mother's extramarital affair. When Greg wants to surprise his
mother on Easter weekend, he himself gets the surprise of his life. He is disillusioned that
his mother is having an affair. She admits that she and André Symington have been a
couple for some time. His mother says, "There are more secrets in this family than you know,
Greg." (page 74)
• Greg realizes that his father blames him for his prison sentence. There is a
tense atmosphere during Greg's visit to his father in Kgosi Mampuru II prison. His father
complains about the terrible conditions he is in and the bad food he eats. “Sorry ass.
It's you who put me here." (page 78)
• Greg decides to track down and unmask the Baker. During the court case, Doc
Pienaar and Greg's father refused to reveal the identity of the Baker. His father warns
him to leave the Baker alone. He comes across information about Rian Trollip and suspects
that he is the Baker, but ends up in a dead end when he learns that he died in prison. Greg
calls his wife, who quickly ends the call when he starts asking about the Baker. Later,
a package with a note and a burned book is delivered to his apartment. “How does he
keep my father-them quiet. That's what I'm going to find out." (page 48)
• Greg realizes that strange people are watching and following him and becomes
frightened. In the first weeks of his stay in Matieland, his friend, Plank, tells him that a
strange woman has inquired about him. A little while after he starts to inquire about the
Baker, he sees a man on a motorcycle watching him. When he returned after the
Easter weekend he found a threatening message on his flat's sliding door. "You and your
hacker buddy have to leave me alone."
• Numerous warnings from the Baker do not deter Greg. Greg shows character and
perseverance because he doesn't let the Baker put him off. Tom's body is discovered in
the First River. He is sent pictures of his mother being chased by the Baker's men. He gets
a warning from the holding cells that they will hurt his father in prison if he doesn't stop looking
for the Baker. Still, Greg remains determined to get hold of the Baker.
"I do it for my family. For our name. It's a matter of honor." (page 105)
• Greg and Xander must learn to put aside their differences and work together to track
down the Baker. Greg knows that Xander is the only one who will be able to help him and
that he has to make "a deal with the devil".
Xander initially did not want to help Greg, until he finds the video of his father's execution
and realizes that it was the Baker who sent it and not Greg. Xander says, "We're going to
sort this thing out once and for all."
• Greg realizes that he has to be honest if he and Xander want the Baker
locate. Greg hides things from Xander to make sure he can't manipulate him again. He sends
a manipulated photo to Xander to convey that he has implanted the transponder in his
hand. He doesn't tell him that the transponder is actually in Plank's hand. This causes conflict
and Xander does not want to cooperate with him. When Xander later agrees to help him
with the search he does not tell him about the burned book which leads to further conflict.
78
• Greg must make difficult choices to achieve his goal. Plank's

ill-advised action in befriending a Turkish peddler causes them to flee from the
Baker's men. Xander refuses to let Plank go to Italy with them and presents Greg
with a choice. He has to choose between him and Plank. Greg chooses
Xander, leaving behind a banished Plank that ends up in the Baker's clutches. "He
puts us in danger. He is a burden. A risk we cannot afford. He stays!”
• Greg experiences inner conflict. The fact that he is his best friend in Turkey
had to leave behind reminds him of the day someone chose against him.
He thinks back to his father's words: "It could have been you instead." Those words
from his father stopped his world. He never spoke to anyone about it, but his
father's betrayal and rejection gave rise to a communication gap between him
and his father and the knowledge that he would never be good enough for him.
"You're just like your father." (page 244)
• Greg is irresponsible to go to the Baker's address alone.
Through hacking, they determine the Baker's address in Florence. He cannot
sleep that night and walks to the Baker's residence.
The man and woman in the house looked at him as if they knew him. Xander is
furious when he finds out. "Do we have another burnt book situation where
you are trying to hide things?" (page 255) The next day, they find out that Greg's
actions have ruined everything, because the Baker has disappeared again.
• Greg realizes that his life is in danger. When Xander and Greg recognize the Baker's
face, they think they have the Baker, but the cell phone Greg hid has disappeared. A
stall hawker shows them in which direction the person went with the mobile phone.
Holding the cell phone in his hand, Plank says that a woman is waiting for them in
the Royal Gardens. Valkyrie waits them in and then the Baker appears and says
that one of them has been poisoned.
Greg realizes it's him when his vision slips, he begins to sweat, become nauseous
and a spasm rips through his body. “One of you beautiful people's end is near. One
of you... has been poisoned.”
• Xander saves Greg's life and asks for forgiveness. Xander saves Greg's life when
he tells the Baker that he has cracked his code, he has blocked his lab's computers
and he will give all the information to the police if he doesn't do as he says. Greg gets
the antidote from Valkyrie and Xander shoots the Baker dead. As they sail away on
the Grand Canal, Xander says, “I'm sorry for what I did to you, Greg. You are not
your father. You didn't deserve it." Greg forgives Xander and says that it's over.
• Greg realizes that there is a price to pay when you take revenge. "If you want
revenge, you have to dig two graves," were the words Greg's mother told him.
Greg's father was nearly killed in prison, his mother was stalked and he lost his
best friend when Plank was shot dead in the canal. Greg comes to the realization
that revenge is not as sweet as he thought, because even though the Baker is dead
he has lost someone he cared about and there is nothing he can do about it. • Greg
and his father reconcile. After his return, Greg visits his
father again in the
prison. Chris Owen confesses to Greg that he wasn't a good father to him and says
that he won't blame him if he doesn't visit him again. Greg realizes that blood is
thicker than water and forgives his father. "I'll come visit again, Dad."
• Greg knows that there will be many more obstacles in the future. He
come to the realization that you must cherish and hold on to the people you love
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what you have “... to survive in this life, you don't need a bulletproof vest. You have
to be bombproof.”
Possible conclusion: Greg is put in life-threatening situations, but he learns to deal with the
onslaughts of life as a young adult and that it is better to forgive than to take revenge.
3. Draft paper: Dark Web – Fanie Viljoen
Answer either QUESTION 1 (essay question) or QUESTION 2 (contextual question)
QUESTION 1 – DARK WEB - ESSAY QUESTION
Water is a continuous motif (leitmotiv) in the novel, Dark Web.
Discuss the denotative and connotative meaning of water in an essay of 400-450 words.
[25]
OR
QUESTION 2
Read the extracts below carefully and answer the questions that follow.
Text A
I'm so sorry. I didn't know, I typed to Xander.

My words sound silly, empty, inadequate.
Then it wasn't you who put the video on the server?
No.
For a while there is no new message. But then, finally, the words burn across my screen. It 5
must be the Baker then. You're right, we have to find him.
will you help me

Yes.
You mean we're going to get revenge? 10
We're going to sort this thing out once and for all.
He evades my question, sidestepping it like a skilled rugby player. Should that scare me?
I do not know. After all, I felt Xander's revenge on my own bark, but I've come this far. The
Gordian knot must be untied.
15
Do you know where I live? I type
Yes.
Cool.
But I'm not coming to you. ???
20
You come to me.
where are you
Again he did not answer for quite a while. Then...
I am going to send you two packages.
Just that. No further explanation. When I saw our entire conversation disappear from 25
Telegram again. The video too.
80
Note: The cognitive levels are not indicated in this paper and
it looks like the paper you will write during the exam. The paper meets the requirements
of the CAPS. There are 40% level 1 and 2 questions; 40% level 3 questions and 20% level 4
and 5 questions.
2.1 What is the function of the italicized words in the extract?

(1)
2.2 What other video did Greg initially think was being referred to? Xander
later sends the Baker a video of a cat. Why does he do this?
(2)
2.3 What connection does Chris Owen have with the Baker? During which incident
did the Baker hint that he knew about Greg and Xander's connection?
(2)
2.4 Explains why Greg and Xander respectively search for the Baker.
(2)
2.5 Do you think Greg did the right thing in approaching Xander to look for the
Baker? Motivate your answer. (1)
2.6 Name the figure of speech in the underlined words of line 12. (1)
2.7 Name TWO warnings the Baker gave Greg to stop his search for him. What
character trait does Greg exhibit as he continues his search for the Baker?
(3)
2.8 Greg previously received a package from an anonymous sender. What was in
that package? How did the contents of the anonymous sender's package
help Greg and Xander track down the Baker? (2)
2.9 Explain why Xander insists that Greg come to him.

(1)
Text B
"Because I hate lame people. Rian's last moments were apparently extremely unpleasant.
Everything arranged. Like Doc's.” Then scornfully: "It's a shame your father survived the
attack."
"He's in ICU!" I call Again I spit mucus from my mouth.
Threads of spit hang from my lips. Fear grips me. Just stay on your feet, Greg. Dig deep 5
for every ounce of power you can get. Stay on your feet.
Keep your head clear. Focus!
Uncle Dirk's face turns red with anger. He plucked at the tape
around his joints. The guards hissed a warning in his ear. Then he reluctantly calms
down. 10
"For now your father is in intensive care, yes," said the Baker. "But his time
will come, as will yours."
A nausea indeed in my throat. My arm twitches involuntarily. Greg you are
dying. You will die like a dog. It's the Baker who did this to you. It's him!
15
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"Would you like some water, Greg?" Calculated, Valkyrie approaches. "Or maybe
of this?" She waved the injection in front of me. I try to grab it, but She plucks it away.
Laugh with the Baker at their joke.
A spasm waves through me. I wipe the spittle away from my mouth.
Then I almost feel nauseous. Ayla's eyes follow me anxiously. Uncle Dirk wants to help,
but with his hands tied he is helpless.
"You little team think you can stop me, don't you?" the Baker finally asked. 20
"But you do not understand the dark undercurrents of the world. It is like multitudes of snakes
crawling in an underworld river of blood. Some of my contacts are powerful people.
You've met a few, Greg."
25
2.10 In what specific space does text B take place? (1)
2.11 What events precede text B? (1)
2.12 Explain why the Baker got rid of Rian. What do you think is the reason he had
Doc killed? (2)
2.13 Study lines 4-7. What type of narrator is used here?

Evaluate the appropriateness of this type of narrator. (2)
2.14 Name the continuous motif in the underlined phrase in line 24.
On what occasion did Greg meet the Baker's powerful contacts?
(2)
2.15 How did Xander manage to prevent Greg from dying from the poison?
(1)
2.16 Study line 11 in Text A. Do you think Xander managed to completely solve
his problem? Motivate your answer. (1)
[25]
82
4. Possible answers to contextual questions per chapter.

MARKING GUIDELINES
The cover
1. Personal opinion, for example: I think it's Xander, ÿ because in the previous book,
Underworld, Greg was blond and Xander (Eckardt) was dark. ÿ
Underworld. ÿ No, it looks like (2) [4]
2. a European city. ÿ (1) [1]
3. The architecture of the buildings differs from that in South Africa. / It looks like old
buildings. ÿ Venice. ÿ (3) [4]
4.
4.1 Greg Owen. ÿ (1) [1]
4.2 The reader expects the main character, Greg Owen, to die. ÿ Personal opinion. (1) [3]
4.3 Yes, I read Underworld and want to know what happened next to Greg and if his
father did go to jail. ÿ Table Mountain Publishers. ÿ (1) [5]
5. (1) [1]
(10 marks)
Motto and prologue
Motto
1. It creates an eerie atmosphere. ÿ 1984 by George (1) [3]
2. Orwell. ÿ Personal opinion, for (1) [1]
3. example: Yes, it is dangerous to take revenge, because it is a negative action that
can cause you to get hurt yourself. ÿ Prologue This creates a computer
background. ÿ Reboot (1) [5]
refers to
4. an action to start over. It marks a new (1) [3]
5. beginning for Greg after his father ended up in prison. ÿ Xander Gericke. ÿ
Personification. ÿ He notices that they look different from the (1) [3]
6. guests who usually (1) [2]
7. visit the house. / He (1) [3]
8. sees that they are dressed casually and do not look like his father's regular guests
who are always dressed in suits. ÿ He is shocked because his hands are shaking
and he tells Xander to go hide. ÿ He is afraid that the unwelcome guests at the front (1) [3]
9. door will hurt or kill him. / He wants to protect his son from the people at the
front door. ÿ They have a (1) [3]
10. loving relationship because his father tells Xander that he loves him. / The
father is protective of Xander and says that he should go into hiding. ÿ Comparison. (1) [3]
ÿ Yes, it is effective,
11. because the arrival of the strange people causes the judge to be afraid, just as (1) [3]
one would be afraid of monsters. ÿ
(1) [3]
12.
(1) [5]
13. (2) [3]

83
This is a quote from the first book, Underworld. ÿ The quote is

emphasized to create tension. ÿ
(15 points)
Chapter 1
1.1 Personal opinion, for example: Through the repetition, the passage is
emphasized because it summarizes the essence of the story.
/ The repetition emphasizes the theme of the story. ÿ (1) [4]
1.2 Sandhurst, Johannesburg. ÿ (1) [1]
1.3 The first person narrator creates credibility. / The first-person narrator
can best convey the character's emotions that he experiences. / The type of
narrator involves the reader in the events and creates anticipation. ÿÿ
(2) [2]
1.4 There is a gloomy/sad atmosphere. ÿ "in this gloomy"/ "twilight
place" / "without sound" / "heavy feeling." ÿ
(2) [3]
1.5 They did not want to associate with the Owens because of the crime
for which Chris Owen was charged. They are disgusted by Chris Owen's
crime. They get embarrassed because Chris Owen is in jail for terrorism
and don't want to show that they are friends with the Owens. ÿ Thomas Lawson.
ÿ (2) [2]
1.6 The University of Stellenbosch. ÿ (1) [1]
1.7 Inner conflict. ÿ (1) [3]
1.8 You can't always win, but when you lose, you learn not to make the same
mistakes again. ÿ (1) [5]
1.9 It keeps the reader curious and compels him/her to read on so he can find out
what it was.ÿ (1) [3]
1.10 Greg cherishes the precious memories of John and tries hard not to forget him.
ÿ "... I try hard to hold on to the times we were together." ÿ His mother is
devastated by his death and cannot come to terms with his death. ÿ "... mysteries
of the sea end up where you drown on your own." / “and I screamed And
screamed. And screamed." ÿ (any other motivation within the context)
(4) [3]
1.11 No, she says she was trapped in the "damned house" ÿ and that she screamed
out of frustration. ÿ (2) [2]
(18 points)
Chapter 2
2.1 A BMW 118i sports model. ÿ (1) [1]

2.2 He wants to make sure he doesn't forget him. / He can't take the picture out
of the house, so he takes a picture of the picture. ÿ (1) [2]
2.3 The reader can infer that the two brothers were very close to each other.
/ The reader can infer that Greg does not want to accept the death of
his brother, so he imagines that he still hears him. ÿ (2) [3]
2.4 A sensitive woman is someone who does everything she does well and is
always in control of a situation. ÿ The night before she told how sometimes
she just screamed like someone who is unbalanced, but the
next morning she was stylishly dressed and her make-up was perfect.
ÿ (2) [3]
2.5 "You are going to walk a long way..." is figurative (connotative). It refers to
84
the paths of life that Greg will walk on/ his life path. ÿ
"The road is long..." is literal (denotative). This refers to the physical road (2) [3]
2.6 he has to travel from Johannesburg to Stellenbosch. ÿ
Greg's mother wants to tell him to forget the past and focus on his future. ÿ (1) [3]
2.7
Eckardt (Xander) who tricked him so he could get revenge on the Owens and
Doc. ÿ Greg was manipulated by Eckardt (Xander) and was himself responsible (2) [3]
2.8 for his father's arrest. ÿ
He wanted revenge on Doc and Chris Owen because they were (1) [2]
2.9 responsible for the death of his father, the judge. ÿ
Eckardt (Xander) is presented as evil. / It makes him look like a bad person. ÿ (1) [3]
2.10 (1) [3]
2.11 Secrets. ÿ (1) [1]
2.12 Thomas Lawson. ÿ
You should not let the people who supported you in the past (1) [3]
2.13 don't write them off because you might need them again. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: No, I think it's unfair because Greg believed he (1) [4]
was doing the right thing and by his actions saved the lives of thousands of
2.14 people who would have died from the virus. ÿ
He left it there because it had no meaning to him because he was no longer
part of Lawson College and their traditions. / He no longer believed in the
values of Lawson. / There were very few of his friends who supported him. ÿÿ (2) [3]
2.15
Personal opinion, for example: This is unfair because John has achieved on his
own merits and the school should still be proud of him. / OR Yes, the school
wants to distance themselves from the Owens therefore it is fair to return (1) [5]
it and not just destroy it. ÿ
[20 marks]
Chapter 3
3.1 Greg soon gets angry. / He is disabled. ÿ (1) [3]

3.2 Fringe characters / extras. ÿ (1) [2]
3.3 The number seven is seen as the perfect number. ÿ (This could indicate
that Greg's life is now perfect and that he can move on with his life,
unfortunately he doesn't and decides to track down the Baker.
(1) [2]
3.4 Personal opinion, for example: Chloe is spontaneous and just trying to make
friends, she's not doing anything wrong.
Or: Chloe is annoying and pushy, she can see that Greg is not interested in
her friendship. She has to leave him alone. ÿ (1) [5]
3.5 It is suggested that Greg is a hacker. ÿ (1) [3]
3.6 This implies that Plank thinks of him as one of his Lawson friends. / This
indicates that they were at school together and still maintain the tradition. ÿ
(1) [3]
3.7 Personal opinion, for example: I think it's wrong to go to college and focus
only on girls and fun. If you go to university, you need to focus on your studies
so that you can succeed. ÿ
(1) [5]
3.8 Personal opinion, for example: I think they forbade her to see him because
they are ashamed of the fact that he is a
85
hacker and his father was arrested. / They are probably prominent people
who don't want their image to suffer because of their daughter's boyfriend.
ÿ (1) [4]
(8 points)
Chapter 4
4.1 It is at the end of January / beginning of February / the beginning of the year.
ÿ (1) [1]
4.2 The week in which the first years are oriented at the university.
/Orientation week / This is similar to initiation, but in this case the first years
are assisted to find their feet on campus. ÿ
(1) [2]
4.3 She is spontaneous / popular / used to taking the lead / bossy. ÿ
(1) [3]
4.4 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, the sooner a first year becomes part of a
group, the better, otherwise the student may feel lonely or overwhelmed by the
pressure and kicking around. ÿ (1) [4]
4.5 Greg is a year older than the rest of the freshmen because he did not start
studying immediately after matric. / He is more mature than the other students
and is a serious type of person. / Greg experienced a lot of trauma the previous
year after his father's arrest and prison sentence, it's hard for him to pretend it
didn't happen. ÿÿ (2) [3]
4.6 His father's court case / prison sentence / he had to leave school and write
matric as a private candidate / his brother's suicide. ÿ (1) [2]
4.7 Personal opinion, for example: A girlfriend of Doc Pienaar who watches Greg to
get revenge on him / Doc Pienaar's wife / Someone sent by the Baker to watch
him. ÿ This is the same woman he saw during the court case. ÿ (1) [4]
(1) [3]
4.8 He doesn't feel part of the excitement. / He is too mature for such frivolity. /
He changed. ÿ (1) [3]
4.9 Personal opinion, for example: No, he doesn't know Greg and doesn't know
what Greg went through.
Or: Yes, it is unacceptable to throw your father to the wolves, one must
protect one's family at all costs. ÿ (1) [4]
4.10 Paradox / paradoxical opposition. ÿ
It feels to him as if he does not belong there. / He is among many people,
but feels lonely. / He feels that everyone is judging him and that he has no (2) [3]
friends. ÿ
(13 points)
Chapter 5
5.1 His father was a businessman himself before he went to prison. / He owned
Turret Media and wanted Greg to follow in his footsteps and take over the (1) [3]
business. ÿ
5.2 Metaphor. ÿ (1) [2]
The pile of books is likened to a tower. / He has so many books, when they (1) [3]
are all packed together, it looks like a tower. ÿ
5.3 Personal opinion, for example: Greg is afraid that other people will embarrass
him by rejecting him or asking him questions about his father's crime. ÿ
(1) [4]
5.4
86
It refers to all the sports activities in which he participates. / This refers to the (2) [2]
5.5 practical part of his course. ÿ Chris Owen / His father. ÿ (1) [1]
5.6 (1) [3]
5.7 Rugby. ÿ (2) [2]
His mother is happy. ÿ
5.8 Lisa. ÿ She is beautiful, has an elf face, black hair and blue eyes. ÿ (1) [5[
The simile is effective because Greg hides in his apartment like a rabbit will (1) [3]
5.9 hide in a hole when it's scared. ÿ
5.10 Mistrust / broken trust. ÿ (1) [2]
5.11 Lisa's father / Dirk Schutte. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: No, he is a mature person who is supposed to
know that you don't judge someone without getting to know the person. ÿ (1) [4]
(14 points)
Chapter 6
6.1 He refers to his father's involvement in Project Nursery Rhyme and the
associated prison sentence. ÿ The woman at the guest house in Beaufort
West. ÿ The student at Windows. ÿ (3)[2]
6.2 A clone is someone who is the same as someone else / an exact version of
another person. ÿ Plank must stay in the same dormitory as his father when he
was at university. ÿ (2) [2]
6.3 "... don't let anyone else talk to me like that." / "without him wanting to hurt
you." ÿ (1) [3]
6.4 Plank doesn't blame Greg because Lisa's father forbade her to be friends with
them. / He is not angry because it is Greg's fault that he is not allowed to
see Lisa. / Greg is bitter because Xander tricked him and caused his
father to end up in prison, but Plank holds no grudges when someone harms
him. ÿ
(1) [3]
6.5 Personal opinion, for example: They may know how cruel he is and that he will
kill them and their family if they talk about him. ÿ
(1) [4]
6.6 "Like a fine web's first thread that is stretched."/ "All cobwebs begin with
the first silver thread." ÿ (1) [3]
6.7 The motor moment is the event that sets the action in motion, Greg's decision
to track down the Baker sets the action in motion. ÿ
(1) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 7
7.1 He has knowledge of pharmacology, diseases and virology. / He is about

the same age as Greg's father. / No one knows his contact details or
his whereabouts. / He is intelligent. ÿÿÿ
(3) [1]
7.2 Doctor Rian Trollip. ÿ He is a doctor. / He and Chris Owen were friends. /
John didn't like him because there was something strange about him. /
He was a Freemason. ÿÿ (3) [2]
7.3 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Freemasons usually move in the
same circles. / All his friends have strange contacts who protect each
other as Thomas Lawson hinted in chapter 1.
(1) [4]
87
OR: No, there is no evidence of that in the novel. If he had been a Freemason,
one of his friends could have prevented him from going to prison. ÿ
7.4 Greg is accessed through the Wayback Machine. ÿ (1) [2]

She is not an important character because she is only referred to. / She is never
in conversation with anyone. / She does not contribute to Greg's character
7.5 development. ÿ
Thomas Lawson. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: No, they are treating Greg unfairly because (1) [3]
7.6 he has nothing to do with his father's wrongdoings. / He is an innocent (1) [2]
7.7 victim who is being punished for what his father did. ÿ
Rian Trollip committed suicide in prison. ÿ

(1) [4]
7.8 (1) [3]
(12 points)
Chapter 8
8.1 He saw her contact number in a report about a

fundraising project she was involved in / her name and contact number were
indicated in the report. ÿ (1) [2]
8.2 Her tongue drags / she answers stuttering / her tongue tugs at the words lazily. ÿ
(1) [2]
8.3 She hates him because he was charged with child pornography / She says he
was joking with children. ÿ (1) [2]
8.4 He may have threatened her and she is afraid of him. / It might be
someone close to her that she wants to protect. ÿ (1) [3]
8.5 It's hard to get out because you keep getting stuck without finding the right
path. ÿ (1) [3]
(5 points)
Chapter 9
9.1 Sarcasm / irony / metaphor. ÿ (1) [3]

9.2 All the students know that Greg's father is a criminal and serving time in prison.
ÿ (1) [3]
9.3 Dirk Schutte apologized to Greg for his behavior during their first meeting.
ÿ (1) [2]
9.4 Dirk interrogates him in the same way that Inspector Cele and Sergeant Botha
interrogated him at the time. ÿ (1) [3]
9.5 Greg's father is a criminal, but Lisa's father is a policeman. / Chris and Greg
don't have a good relationship, while Lisa's father just wants to protect her. ÿ
(Both sides for 1 mark) (1) [3]
9.6 Connotative, ÿ because it does not refer to the physical darkness, but to the evil
deeds of people involved in the wrong things. ÿ
(2) [3]
9.7 He acts fatherly. / He is a caring person. / He is protective. / He is fair. / He is
humorous. ÿ (1) [3]
9.8 He experienced too much stress and was declared unfit for duty. ÿ (1) [1]
9.9 No, it sounds like he drinks too much. ÿ He looks like he wants to cry when he (2) [4]
talks about his job as a policeman. ÿ
(11 points)
Chapter 10
88
10.1 That someone will send or receive a package. ÿ (1) [2]

10.2 Lisa saw Plank's Tinder profile and is mad at him for not deleting it. ÿ
(1) [2]
10.3 Personal opinion, for example: One of the Baker's people. ÿ Greg inquired
about him and he heard about it, now he wants to determine what Greg's plans
are. ÿ (2) [4]
10.4 Two envelopes, one with a message in ÿ and the other envelope has a burnt
book in it. ÿ (2) [1]
10.5 The Baker. ÿ Self-confidence / determination / perseverance. ÿ (2) [3]
10.6 He deduces that the book is very old because the pages are yellow and brittle. ÿ
The book was damaged in a fire. ÿ (2) [1]
10.7 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, it is effective because it gives the reader
an idea of what the content of the book looks like. / The diagram shows
chemical formulas that may give him a clue about the Baker's projects. ÿ
(1) [5]
(11 points)
Chapter 11
11.1 Valkyrie or Walkures were female spirits who decided during battles who
should die or who should live. ÿ (1) [2]
11.2 He had slept little the night before because he was busy researching the
Baker. ÿ (1) [3]
11.3 April. ÿ "It's Good Friday tomorrow." ÿ (2) [3]
11.4 Personal opinion, for example: I think it is wrong because using Ritalin can be
addictive. The effect of Ritalin is only short-lived and creates a false sense of
reality. ÿ (any acceptable answer.) (1) [5]
11.5 He is going to visit his mother in Sandhurst, Johannesburg. ÿ (1) [1]

11.6 One is supposed to stop at a stop, but Greg says that he ignores the person
like a stop. / Many people do not stop at a stop sign, but it is against the law to
ignore stop signs. ÿ
(1) [3]
11.7 He drives an uber. ÿ (1) [2]
11.8 Yes, because it makes the reader curious to find out what the shock is that Greg
got. ÿ (1) [4]
(9 points)
Chapter 12
12.1 He is wearing pajama bottoms, is barefoot and bare-chested. ÿ (1) [2]

12.2 Hyperbole. / Metaphor. ÿ (1) [3]
12.3 The eldest son in the family, John, committed suicide. ÿ Chris Owen, the father
in the family, is in prison. ÿ (2) [3]
12.4 She was alone/lonely. ÿ (1) [2]
12.5 Kgosi Mampuru II Prison. ÿ They were charged with terrorism because they killed
people. / Dangerous criminals are held in C-Max.ÿ (2) [1]
12.6 The prisoners hope to be released, but the terrible conditions in the prison
cause despair, because they do not know if they might be killed in the prison. ÿ
(1) [3]
12.7 On page 27 he was neatly dressed in a suit and tie during the court case, ÿ
but now he is wearing a prison overall and looks
89
older, thinner and neglected. ÿ He has a hard time in prison, does not eat well (3) [3]
12.8 and does not sleep well. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: No, it is not Greg's fault that he is in prison, he
committed the crime and should be punished for it. ÿ (1) [5]
He gets angry when he hears the Baker's name and orders Greg to leave him
12.9 alone. ÿ He was shocked when he heard Valkyrie's name, because he didn't
know that Greg knew anything about her. ÿ
(2) [2]
(15 points)
Chapter 13
13.1 Nicole. ÿ (1) [1]

13.2 The baby takes up a lot of her time and she doesn't pay attention to her
appearance. ÿ (1) [3]
13.3 Synecdoche. ÿ (1) [3]
13.4 Indifferent / irresponsible. ÿ (any other appropriate description)
(1) [2]
13.5 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, I feel sorry for her because her parents do
not support her one hundred percent.
Or: No, she should have acted responsibly and focused on her future instead
of wild parties. ÿ (1) [5]
13.6 She wanted her and Greg to resume their relationship, but Greg has
already moved on and is not interested in her. / He doesn't trust her and her
parents don't want her to be in a relationship with Greg. ÿ
(1) [2]
13.7 Greg's mother was indifferent to Thomas Lawson on page 24, but now she
wants to force Greg to have dinner with him. ÿ
Greg's mother says that Thomas Lawson has business ideas they can work
on together, but Greg is studying Sports Science which has nothing to do
with business. ÿ (2) [3]
13.8 Xander Gericke. ÿ The Baker. ÿ The burnt book. / Any proof that he's
looking for the Baker. ÿ (3) [2]
13.9 Inner conflict. ÿ Xander abused Greg to get revenge and he was the cause
of Greg's family's destruction, so Greg doubts whether he should contact
him. ÿ (2) [3]
13.10 Personal opinion, for example: No, Xander just did what he thought was right.
Greg's father could have meant the death of many other people, therefore
he is actually the devil and not Xander. ÿ (1) [4}
(14 points)
Chapter 14
14.1 This comparison is appropriate because it supports Greg's life world

where he is often on the computer. ÿ (1) [5]
14.2 He is not in the mood for it at all and plans to slip away quickly. ÿ (1) [3]
14.3 She is very beautiful and young while Thomas Lawson is old. / He prefers
to have such a woman because he only desires the best, she is like a trophy
that everyone can admire. ÿ (1) [3]
14.4 Sebastian Stadler, General Winters, Mildred Fortuin and her husband,
Elbert Swartz, Joggie Dreyer, Gabby. (any 3) ÿÿÿ (3) [1]
14.5 It is an elderly man with a thin face full of wrinkles and gray hair that is
combed back. ÿ Sebastian Stadler. ÿ (2) [2]
14.6
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To kill animals and stop. ÿ It is cruel to (2) [3]

14.7 killing innocent animals like cats. ÿ
Thomas Lawson judges Greg's decision because he is studying Sports Science
and is not interested in a business career. ÿ Lawson wants to offer Greg a
business opportunity, but Greg is not interested. ÿ (2) [3]
14.8 (1) [1]
Greg sends Xander a message on his blog, ÿ
(13 points)
Chapter 15
15.1 A palindrome is a word or a sentence that reads exactly the same

forwards and backwards. ÿ Wash off the sins too, not just the face. ÿ
(2) [2]
15.2 He wants to force Greg into self-examination. / He wants Greg to confess his
own sins. ÿ (1) [3]
15.3 Yes, he has a nice chat with her and says that he is glad that Plank invited her
along. ÿ (1) [2]
15.4 He is a gallant gentleman as he pulls out the chair for Lisa. ÿ (1) [3]
He sent a shirtless selfie to Greg's mom. / He makes computer game
noises when he thinks no one hears him.
/ He waves at children and makes funny faces so they can laugh.
/ He looks like someone with a spider in his pants when he dances. ÿ (any
1) (1) [1]
15.5 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, it's innocent talk and he doesn't
mean to hurt Plank by it. ÿ
(1) [4]
15.6 She brings out Plank's soft side. / She embarrasses him. / He is usually full
of jokes, but now he feels embarrassed. ÿ (1) [3]
15.7 Personal opinion, for example: No, I don't think it's sincere, he's just doing it to
please Xander so he can help him. ÿ
(1) [4]
(9 points)
Chapter 16
16.1 He helped Xander in the past, in Greg's matric year, to get revenge on the
Owens. ÿ (1) [2]
16.2 He and Xander are both hackers. ÿ Both prefer to keep their identities
secret. / Greg calls Xander the devil and there's a devilish smile on the T-
shirt. ÿ (2) [3]
16.3 Personal opinion, for example: It is a safe place where other people cannot
see that they are together. ÿ (1) [4]
16.4 There are more than five hundred people buried upright under the floor. ÿ (1) [1]
16.5 Greg's attitude is defiant and it sounds like he plans to again

to take revenge. ÿ He wants to bribe Xander to help and Xander has enough of
his own money. ÿ (2) [3]
(7 points)
Chapter 17
17.1 He hides it behind the Conrad Botes painting. ÿ (1) [2]

17.2 He shares it with Lisa, ÿ Plank ÿ and Chloe. ÿ (3) [1]
17.3 He is evasive / hides in his apartment / does not mix with others / prefers to be
alone. ÿ (1) [3]
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17.4 She wants Greg to crack the security cameras so she can use them for a project.
ÿ (1) [3[
17.5 He saw Tom's body on the river bed of the First River when he walked over the
wooden bridge. ÿ (1) [3]
(7 points)
Chapter 18
18.1 He believes that the Baker is responsible for Tom's death and that he is thorough
and will not leave any clues behind. ÿ (1) [3]
18.2 Professor Kabi. ÿ (1) [1]
18.3 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Greg does not realize the danger of
cheerleaders not. / He doesn't know that it can cause the user's organs
to give in. ÿ (1) [5]
18.4 He receives photos of his mother in his dropbox. ÿ Tom's body in the
Eersterivier. ÿ He is most upset about the photos of his mother, ÿ (2) [2]
because he is in Stellenbosch and cannot protect her. ÿ
18.5 He walks over the bridge every day and there is a man on a motorcycle who (2) [3]
regularly watches him and is aware of his movements. ÿ (1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 19
19.1 He doesn't want to be recognized. / He tries to keep his identity a secret. ÿ

(1) [1]
19.2 Personal opinion, for example: He and Tom were good friends. He might have (1) [4]
wanted to go to Tom's funeral. ÿ
19.3 In the direction of the Botanical Gardens. ÿ He doesn't want to talk to Greg (1) [1]
because he has nothing to say to him. ÿ (1) [3]
19.4 Xander is a runner and he is fitter than Greg. ÿ (1) [2]
(5 points)
Chapter 20
20.1
20.1.1 Comparison. ÿ
20.1.2 Metaphor. ÿ (2) [2]
20.2 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, wherever Greg goes he causes
chaos. / It was Greg's fault that Plank and Lisa almost broke up. / After meeting
Tom at the church, he was killed. ÿ (any other relevant answer)
(1) [4]
20.3 He thinks that the message is from Xander. ÿ (1) [1]
20.4 They speak Cape Afrikaans mixed with gang language. ÿ
(weakening of vowels / omission of consonants at the end of a word /
assimilation / English words / distinctive words like dala.) This indicates their
gang background / that they are criminals. ÿ (any 1)
(2) [3]
20.5 The Baker agreed with the person to give the message to Greg. ÿ
(1) [3]
20.6 This is a threatening message that orders Greg to stop looking for the
Baker, ÿ because if he doesn't, the Baker will see to it that Greg's father is (2) [3]
assaulted or killed in prison. ÿ
20.7 No, Greg is determined to track down the Baker and too stubborn to give
up his search. ÿ (1) [4]
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(10 points)
Chapter 21
21.1 He gets scared and wants to do something to warn his father. ÿ He doesn't
know if he can call him and the prison guards are used to the violence in
the prison that they won't do anything to protect him. ÿ
(2) [3]
21.2 He is watchful / suspicious / overslept. ÿ (1) [3]
It is possible that it is someone who works for the Baker and regularly does
21.3 similar tasks for him, therefore he will take precautions so that his car cannot
be identified. ÿ
He drives to the nearest police station and the pursuer takes off. ÿ (1) [3]
21.4
Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Dirk Schutte is a retired policeman who (1) [1]
21.5 will know how to handle the situation. ÿ
It refers to a very difficult matter that can only be solved by forceful (1) [4]
21.6 measures. ÿ
During the previous meeting, he advised Greg to stop the hacking, now he (1) [3]
21.7 encourages him to continue with a life-threatening task. ÿ
(1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 22
22.1 That he, like Alexander the Great, is capable of solving difficult tasks. ÿ
(1) [3]
22.2 That's February. ÿ (1) [2]
22.3 He wants to ignore it because the email address looks suspicious. ÿ Xander. ÿ (2) [2]
22.4 He refers to the video of his father's execution. ÿ (1) [1]
22.5 He is disgusted by the cruelty of the people in the video, ÿ but is relieved
that his father was not part of it. ÿ (2) [3]
22.6 Personal opinion, for example: The Baker. ÿ He had previously warned
Greg that he and his "hacker buddy" should leave him alone and the
Baker made sure that Tom, Xander's friend, (2) [4]
be killed. ÿ
22.7 In the prologue, Judge Gericke is assaulted at his home, the video of his
execution shows the action that took place afterwards. ÿ (1) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 23
23.1 Project Nursery Rhyme would have resulted in the death of people he does
not know, ÿ but he knows Judge Gericke and is personally involved so he can
see to it that he dies. ÿ Or: He wanted to make money with Project Nursery
Rhyme, ÿ but here he helps to kill the judge because he didn't want to accept
his bribe. ÿ
(2) [3]
23.2 The Baker expected Xander to get scared and not help Greg look for him, ÿ
but this prompts him to take revenge on him. ÿ
(2) [3]
23.3 It is italicized to separate it from the rest of the story. / The author
italics it to show that it is a
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written conversation between two persons. / This lifts the conversation. ÿ (1) [2]
23.4
Xander is metaphorically seen as the fox because he is cunning and knows
how to handle difficult situations. / Xander is as dangerous as a fox
and will show no mercy to the Baker. ÿ (1) [3]
23.5
Xander wants to make sure that their communication is secure and that the (1) [3]
23.6 information does not end up in the hands of a hacker or the Baker. ÿ (1) [2]
Cleave ÿ
(8 points)
Chapter 24
24.1 A transponder (electronic microchip), two packets of alcohol wipes, sterile

gauze, plastic gloves, an instrument that looks like an injection. (any 4) ÿÿÿÿ
(4) [1]
24.2 It can help you keep direction / hear / see / control body functions /
you no longer have keys or bank cards
not necessary (any 2) ÿÿ (2) [2]
24.3 Personal opinion, for example: No, Xander has controlled Greg in the past
and he won't allow it again. ÿ (1) [4]
24.4 He should take it to a tattoo shop and have the transponder implanted in his (1) [2]
hand. ÿ
24.5 He wants to make sure he can trust Greg. / He wants Greg in his power to (1) [3]
control him. ÿ
24.6 In that way, Greg will be the only person who can unlock the computer,
so their communications will not end up in the wrong hands. ÿ (
1) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 25
25.1 She is an art student with a spontaneous nature, her apartment is full of colorful
paintings and a black wall on which she can write or draw. ÿ
(1) [3]
25.2 He will help her hack the security cameras of the university for her art project.
ÿ (1) [2]
25.3 He wants to lead Xander around the bush. ÿ He wants to make it look as if he
did plant the transponder in his hand even though this is not true. ÿ
(2) [3]
25.4 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Chloe did a good job and the photo looks
real. ÿ
Or: No, Xander is overslept and will wonder why the photo's
metadata was deleted. ÿ (1) [4]
25.5 Personal opinion, for example: No, he has no evidence that this is true and is
only talking to the media. Or: Yes, what he says is the truth. There are
currently numerous investigations of corruption in South Africa involving
former state leaders. ÿ (1) [5]
25.6 He finds Plank, who is covered in blood, having planted
the transponder in his hand. ÿ This could cause Xander to distrust him if he (1) [2]
notices that Greg does not obey his orders. ÿ
(1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 26
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26.1 He was smoking weed and didn't realize what he was doing. ÿ He
thought it was "cool" and wanted to try it. ÿ (2) [2]
26.2 He is investigative / likes to experiment. ÿ
He is irresponsible / impulsive. ÿ (consider other appropriate character traits)
(2) [3]
26.3 It is intertextual because it refers to another text, in this case a film. ÿ Hannibal
the Cannibal was a cannibal who ate people and left bloody scenes like
the one in Greg's apartment. / Both refer to a lot of blood. ÿ
(2) [3]
He did not sanitize it. / He didn't use the alcohol pads. ÿ
26.4
He wants to have the transponder taken out at a hospital. ÿ The doctor or (1) [1]
26.5 hospital staff will ask questions that they will not be able to answer. ÿ
(1) [1]
He didn't want to upset Greg. / He is still under the influence of marijuana (1) [3]
26.6 and cannot think normally. ÿ
(1) [2]
(10 points)
Chapter 27
27.1
27.1.1 Naive / gullible / gullible. ÿ
27.1.2 The transponder contains the code to unlock the laptop. ÿ (1) [2]
(1) [1]
27.1.3 No, the transponder is in Plank's hand and not in Greg's. ÿ
(1) [3]
27.1.4 The words are effective because they cause Greg to startle. ÿ (1) [5]
27.2 It's possible that the Baker's people have already hacked his computer
because someone was already in his apartment and the Baker knows
about his investigation. ÿ (1) [2]
27.3 In Istanbul in Turkey where he lives. ÿ (1) [1]
27.4 Probably end of May or beginning of June. ÿ Greg has only two semester
tests left and the half-year exam is still to come. ÿ (2) [3]
27.5 Personal opinion, for example: I would prefer to write exams because one's
future is much more important than revenge. ÿ (1) [5]
27.6 The transponder that unlocks the laptop is in his hand so he has to go
with it because without it the laptop is useless to Greg. ÿ Plank has to
sell some of the shares his father gave him to get money for the plane ticket.
ÿ Greg travels to Turkey because he needs Xander's help to track down
the Baker, but for (2) [2]
27.7 Plank it's almost like an overseas vacation. ÿ
(1) [3]
(12 points)
Chapter 28
28.1 Greg is afraid that someone is following him. ÿ (1) [3]

28.2 Weed. ÿ (1) [1]
28.3 He calls his mother. ÿ (1) [1]
28.4 Greg's brother, John, committed suicide and he knows that his mother is still
grieving over him, so this is inappropriate. ÿ (1) [3]
95
28.5 She is not happy because she was married to a man who was rarely at home,
moreover her eldest son committed suicide which broke her heart. ÿ
(1) [3]
28.6 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, it is logical that he would say goodbye to
his mother before going overseas otherwise she would worry about him if she
could not get hold of him.
No, it puts their lives in danger, because if the Baker knows where
they're going, he can follow them and get rid of everyone, including Xander. ÿ
(1) [4]
The arrivals hall is brightly lit and welcoming, ÿ while Greg feels uncertain and
scared about his reunion with Xander. ÿ
28.7 This is the motto of Lawson College. ÿ The school wanted nothing to do with (2) [3]
the Owens after Greg caused the principal and his father to end up in (1) [2]
28.8 prison. ÿ Greg did a good deed by stopping a virus, but the school still
condemned it and even John Owen's memorabilia to the Owens
returned. ÿ
Xander doesn't like other people to see him. / He wants to protect his identity. (2) [3]
ÿ In the Basilica Cistern ÿ
28.9 (2)[3]
(13 points)
Chapter 29
29.1 Personification. ÿ The imagery is effective, because Turkey lies largely in (1) [2]
Asia, but there is also a part that is in Europe. ÿ (1) [5]
29.2 There are many domed roofs ÿ and towers. ÿ (2) [2]
29.3 Xander doesn't know that the transponder is implanted in Plank's
hand. / He is under the impression that the transponder is
in Greg's hand. ÿ (1) [3]
29.4 The Sunken Palace. ÿ It used to be a water reservoir. / There is an (1) [1]
underground cathedral in the Basilica Cistern. ÿ (1) [3]
29.5 It's dark in the building so it's suitable because Xander doesn't want to be
seen / he wants to protect his identity. ÿ (1) [3]
29.6 The Medusa head creates an eerie atmosphere. ÿ (1) [3]
29.7 Tom / Judge Gericke / even Xander and Greg. ÿÿ (2) [2]
29.8 Connotative. ÿ He doesn't trust Xander because he already cheated on
him. / It's Xander's fault that the Owen family is ruined. ÿ
(2) [3]
29.9 It refers to a computer term. / This is a reference back to the previous book,
Underworld. ÿ Xander is a hacker therefore the computer term matches his
personality. ÿ (2) [3]
(15 points)
Chapter 30
30.1 He was afraid that Xander would pull out a pistol and shoot him. ÿ (1) [2]
30.2 They had seen each other about two years ago and during their previous
meeting, Xander informed Greg that he had been abusing him to get revenge
on his father. ÿ (1) [3]
30.3 He is manipulative / bossy. ÿ (1) [3]
30.4 He used a pseudonym before and doesn't want people to know anything
about him. / He is an outsider and doesn't want to let anyone near
him. / He is suspicious and cautious because he is afraid that the Baker
might find them. ÿ (1) [3]
96
30.5 He wants to prevent him from using the SIM card. / He wants to make
sure that no one can track them through the SIM card. ÿ (1) [2]
30.6 He is furious and refuses to help Greg because he distrusts him. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: No, this is unacceptable because (1) [3]
he didn't give Greg a chance to explain what happened. ÿ Greg traveled
all the way to Turkey to meet him, he doesn't know anyone in Turkey and will
struggle to manage on his own. ÿ
(2) [4]
30.7 Mistrust / betrayal / power. ÿÿ (2) [3]
(10 points)
Chapter 31
31.1 Hagia Sophia ÿ Blue Mosque. ÿ (2) [1]

31.2 They decide to eat something ÿ and go look for a hotel in which they can
spend the night. ÿ (2) [2]
31.3 He doesn't want his children to be a clone like him, but for them to decide
for themselves what they want to do with their lives. ÿ
(1) [3]
31.4 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Greg is delighted because he is happy
that Xander is going to help him track down the Baker.
No, Greg has no choice but to ask for Xander's help. ÿ They were in matric (1) [4]
31.5 together at Lawson College and he knows that Plank is always full of jokes. (1) [3]
ÿ
31.6 Ayla. ÿ (1) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 32
32.1 The Upper Cape. ÿ Both spaces are characterized by the colorful
houses. ÿ (2) [2]
32.2 English, ÿ Turkish ÿ and Afrikaans. ÿ It (3) [1]
32.3 creates a mysterious atmosphere. ÿ (1) [3]
32.4 Ayla's parents work for Doctors Without Borders. ÿ (1) [1]
32.5 He distrusts Xander and Ayla and fears that the lemonade has been
poisoned. ÿ (1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 33
33.1 Trivia. ÿ
33.2 Both are single-minded / determined / determined to track down the Baker. ÿ (1) [2]
33.3 Personal opinion, for example: I think it is wrong that the media is not allowed (1) [3]
to say or write what they want, because then the information that is
passed on to the public is one-sided and possibly untrue. ÿ (1) [5]
33.4 The cause of the conflict is Xander and Greg's argument about their parents.
ÿ The result is that Xander has an emotional breakdown. ÿ This is
defused by Greg apologizing ÿ and Ayla saying something in Xander
about whispering to calm him down. ÿ
(4) [3]
33.5 He said goodbye to Tom. ÿ (1) [2]
33.6 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Greg knows that Xander can be
sneaky, so he has to protect himself.
97
Or: No, Greg knows that Xander was angry because he didn't tell him about the
transponder in Plank's hand and that the secret of the burned book could (1) [4]
cause mistrust again. ÿ
33.7 He jogs in the morning. ÿ (1) [1]
(10 points)
Chapter 34
34.1 The title of the novel is Dark Web and this chapter is about the dark
web, a website where illegal goods are traded. ÿ
(1) [3]
34.2 Plank mockingly refers to it as a place where you can buy drugs, but the
dark web trades in illegal firearms, counterfeit money and hired
killers that are much more dangerous. ÿ
(1) [3]
34.3 Personal opinion, for example: Xander's father, Judge Gericke,
wrote with a Montblanc pen the day he disappeared, possibly his pen he
inherited. ÿ (1) [4]
34.4 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, it is functional because it helps the reader
understand how the dark web works. ÿ (1) [4]
34.5 The fact that the dark web prioritizes anonymity. ÿ (1) [3]
34.6 They may not download anything. / The camera and microphone must
be switched off. / Screens may not be used at maximum size. / Java and
Flash must be turned off. / They may not use "add-ons". ÿÿ (any 2)
(2) [2]
34.7 Xander says that Greg can't click on any strange stuff, but everything
seems strange to him because he's never been to a dark web site. ÿ
(1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 35
35.1 Candon / A Turkish street vendor. ÿ Xander does not want anyone to know
anything about him or his whereabouts. ÿ (2) [3]
35.2 Personal opinion, for example: Xander is acting righteously because if Plank
uses his phone, it could expose them ÿ and the Baker would be able to track (2) [5]
them down. ÿ
35.3 He swears under his breath, but is still calm. ÿ (1) [2]
35.4 He is a chemist or a doctor with knowledge of viruses. / He can produce
medication/vaccines. / He will kill someone for money. ÿÿ (any 2)
(2) [2]
35.5 They want to lure him out of the dark with a request for a new one (1) [2]
project. ÿ
35.6 Paradox. ÿ (1) [3]
35.7 They do not have enough knowledge of the chemical substances, so
they have to do research. ÿ (1) [3}
(10 points)
Chapter 36
36.1 He is angry because the burnt book's clues would have put them on the right
track sooner, but Greg kept it a secret, which slows down the process. ÿ
(1) [3]
36.2 The drawing in the book is a chemical structure for Mandrax. / There is a list of
the deadliest chemicals. ÿ He suspects that
98
the Baker was involved in Project Coast which experimented with chemical
warfare. ÿ (2) [3]
36.3 He is shocked. ÿ Greg told him and Lisa about the book and he saw the book
himself. ÿ The discovery of the (2) [2]
36.4 book causes Xander to be suspicious and mistrust Greg. ÿ
(1) [3]
(6 points)
Chapter 37
37.1 Yes, Greg is studying Sports Science and rugby is his

favorite sport so it is fitting. ÿ The word "tackle" refers to a setback namely (1) [4]
the burnt book he hid which caused conflict between him and Xander. (1) [3]
ÿ
37.2 (1) [1]
37.3 Poison. ÿ
Yes, she knows that Xander and Greg are playing with fire and is afraid of the (1) [3]
37.4 consequences. ÿ (1) [2]
37.5 She is supportive but warns him to be careful. ÿ
The reader can infer that Plank has no idea what Novichok is. ÿ (1) [3]
(6 points)
Chapter 38
38.1 Novichok is a deadly nerve agent. / It causes damage to your

nervous system. ÿ (1) [1]
38.2 They want to use a similar agent to Novichok to lure the Baker. ÿ
Clandestine labs, medical toxicologists, (1) [3]
militaristic sites, chemical and biological warfare recruiting sites, underground (2) [1]
medical research sites, medical records selling sites and medical equipment
suppliers. ÿÿ (any 2)
(2) [2]
38.3 The US Navy was responsible for the creation of
the dark web. ÿ They wanted to protect the government's communications.
ÿ
(6 points)
Chapter 39
39.1 "Holy Wisdom" refers to the Hagia Sophia which is a building /

attraction is. ÿ It can also refer figuratively to wisdom which is holy. ÿ
(2) [3]
39.2 Xander has the privilege of being raised by a loving father
is lost. ÿ Greg lost his brother. / He lost his father because he was the reason
he had to go to prison. ÿ (2) [3]
39.3 Gli is the cat that has been living in the museum for years. ÿ (1) [1]
39.4 He shows him some marble fragments that were part of the original building. ÿ
He wants to explain to him where he got the palindrome that was part of the (1) [1]
previous building's stone fonts. ÿ
(1) [4]
39.5 Cleansing / cleansing / rebirth. ÿ (1) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 40
40.1 He feels guilty for neglecting Plank. ÿ (1) [2]

99
40.2 The messages from the Chinese are eliminated because it is unlikely that
the Baker came from the East. ÿ (1) [3]
40.3 Elsewhere is capitalized because it is a proper name. / This is the name of
a website. ÿ (1) [3]
No, he mostly lays down and sleeps or wanders around chatting with Candon.
/ Plank does not realize the seriousness of the situation and makes silly
40.4 comments. ÿ (1) [3]
(4 points)
Chapter 41
41.1 Elsewhere's website is very negative, it propagates violence and chaos. ÿ

(1) [3]
41.2 The introduction page of Elsewhere says that terrible things will happen,
but that you should not break and the first motto of Dark Web has the same
meaning and says that you should not be afraid. ÿ
(1) [3]
41.3 Reference is made to George Orwell's book, 1984. ÿ (1) [2]
41.4 Greg finds out that Xander gets anxiety attacks when his father's death is
talked about. ÿ (1) [2]
41.5 They met at a conference of the Freedom House which monitors internet
freedom worldwide. ÿ (1) [1]
41.6 There is no intimate relationship between her and her parents and they rarely (1) [3]
see each other. ÿ
41.7 Font Code. ÿ He no longer has a mobile phone to take a picture. ÿ (2) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 42
42.1 Xander wanted to go jogging, but temporarily forgot about jogging. ÿ (1) [3]
42.2 He thinks it's dangerous ÿ and warns Greg against using drugs you don't get
from a doctor. ÿ (2) [2]
42.3 They go jogging. ÿ (1) [1]
42.4 He knows Xander as a serious/intense person who never lets his guard
down, but now he plays with children. ÿ (1) [3]
42.5 Greg is humble/modest. ÿ (1) [3]
42.6 Yes, he hides his feelings for Ayla. / He also hides the fact that his father
rejected him as a young boy after John's death. ÿ (1)[4]
42.7 Personal opinion, for example: The Baker is a very intelligent person who will
have measures in place or people working for him to make sure that no one
penetrates his network or threatens him. ÿ
(1) [4]
(8 points)
Chapter 43
43.1 Xander slams the laptop shut, believing that their plan has failed. ÿ
Determination/perseverance. ÿ (2) [2]
43.2 They want to trace his Bitcoin address, ÿ trace the software on the server ÿ
or see if he left a trail of data crumbs like metadata of the video he sent.
ÿ
(3) [3]
43.3 The video of his father's execution is disturbing and he had an anxiety attack
last time watching it. ÿ (1) [1]
43.4
100
Personal opinion, for example: Greg and Xander work together as a team (1) [4]
43.5 because they both have good ideas and they try to explore all
possibilities. ÿ
They are going to put a video of a cat on the server, but it won't work if he wants (2) [2]
43.6 to watch it. ÿ He will have to download Codec and then they can obtain his IP (1) [1]
address. ÿ
Florence, Italy. ÿ
(10 points)
Chapter 44
44.1 They will not be able to travel to Europe with their South African passports.
ÿ Xander orders European passports on the dark web. ÿ
(2) [2]
44.2 Xander. ÿ (1) [1]
44.3
44.3.1 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, when man makes amazing
technological discoveries, he imagines himself to be so powerful and thinks
he is a super being. ÿ (1) [5]
44.3.3 Loss of identity. ÿ (1) [3]
44.4 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, this is an effective comparison,
because one tends to accept free offers without wondering about their
consequences. ÿ (1) [4]
(6 points)
Chapter 45
45.1 They explore Istanbul and visit attractions. ÿ It will take approximately ten
days to receive their forged passports. ÿ
(2) [2]
45.2 A metal oil lamp. ÿ (1) [1]
45.3 He says that one will be able to enjoy fishing in the Basilica Cistern. ÿ
(1) [3]
45.4 Personal opinion, for example: Plank is not only a joker and good friend, he
is a deep, soulful person who appreciates the deeper things in life. ÿ
(1) [5]
45.5 Personification, ÿ to groan is a human quality given to inanimate objects
such as sweets. ÿ (2) [2]
45.6 Personal opinion, for example: No, the passports look like the official version
and there are even customs stamps in the passports. ÿ
(1) [4]
45.7 Plank storms in and says that he messed up and that they are in big
trouble. ÿ (1) [3]
(9 points)
Chapter 46
46.1 His friend Candon says that there were people with him who inquired about
them. / They specifically referred to three South African men and a Turkish
girl. ÿ Plank used Candon's cell phone to call Lisa. ÿ The people who
inquired about them know where they live. ÿ
(3) [2]
46.2 A conflict arises between Plank and Xander. / Xander orders them to pack
and flee immediately. / Xander throws the
101
broken laptops. / The people they are looking for burst into the apartment. /
Xander refuses to let Plank go with them. ÿÿ (any 2)
46.3 They flee out onto the terrace and lock the door from the outside before (2) [2]
jumping over the small wall. ÿ An Uber taxi takes them to the airport. ÿ
46.4 He chooses Xander. ÿ He knows that he won't get hold of the Baker (2) [2]
without Xander. / He may believe that the Baker only knows about him and (1) [1]
Xander and that Plank will be safe. ÿ Plank has been his friend through
thick and thin and has never let him down, but now he is leaving him behind. ÿ (2) [3]
46.5 Personal opinion, for example: Plank was captured by the Baker's (1) [4]
people and tortured to find out what Xander and Greg's plans are. ÿ
(11 points)
Chapter 47
47.1 On the day of John's suicide, his father told Greg that he should have
died instead. ÿ This caused inner conflict in Greg because he felt rejected
by his father. ÿ (2) [3]
47.2 John's suicide ÿ and what his father told him / his father rejected him. ÿ (2) [3]
47.3 No, Greg is nothing like his father. He always tries to do the right thing
and he had no choice but to leave Plank behind. ÿ
(1) [5]
47.4 He does not see the relationship between him and Xander as friendship
not, but simply a pact/an agreement. ÿ (1) [1]
47.5 These were possibly people working for the Baker. ÿ (1) [2]
47.6 The tension is heightened when the customs officer calls his colleague and
speaks to him before stamping Greg's passport. ÿ (1) [2]
47.7 Leonardo da Vinci International Airport. ÿ (1) [1]
47.8 Hotel Domus Florence. ÿ (1) [1]
47.9 The backdoor access could help find personal information on the Baker's
laptop. ÿ (1) [3]
(11 points)
Chapter 48
48.1 The sun only begins to set at half past nine in the evening. ÿ (1) [2]
48.2 A sign of hope / a sign that Plank is safe. ÿ (1) [3]
48.3 They find his street address/physical address. ÿ Encrypted files.
(encrypted files) ÿ (2) [3]
48.4 Personal opinion, for example: No, the Baker can see him and capture him
without Xander knowing. / He can frighten the Baker and he can flee. / This
will cause conflict between him and Xander because Xander doesn't like it
keep Greg from doing something without telling him about it. ÿÿ (any two
acceptable opinions) (2) [4]
48.5 He sees a man and a woman in the house who look at him as if they know
him. ÿ He hears heavy piano music. ÿ (2) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 49
102
49.1 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Plank threatened their safety and
almost crashed their plan to find the Baker.
Or: No, everyone deserves a second chance, Plank didn't intentionally
compromise their safety. ÿ (1) [4]
He is furious and looks like he wants to hit Greg. ÿ Personal opinion, for (1) [3]
49.2 example: Yes, Greg and Xander worked so hard to track down the Baker and
Greg may doubt their chances of catching him. ÿ
(1) [4]
He goes to the Accademia Gallery. ÿ He is having a conversation with an
49.3 elderly man and a lady whispers in his ear that the doctor knows many
things. ÿ The umbrella with the gargoyle head is distinctive. ÿ
(3) [2]
The Baker and his wife are no longer at his residence. ÿ (1) [3]
49.4 Dirk Schutte / Lisa's father. ÿ (1) [1]
49.5
(8 points)
Chapter 50
50.1 He is scared of Dirk and thinks that because Dirk is an ex-cop, he might be
the Baker. / He knows that he has many connections /
and think that he might have been involved in chemical and biological warfare. /
The fact that he followed them from the Baker's house puts him under
suspicion. (any 2)
ÿÿ (2) [3]
50.2 Comparison. ÿ (1) [2]
50.3 There is a teddy bear in it. ÿ Inside/stuffing the teddy bear is a pistol. ÿ He
ordered it on the dark web. ÿ (3) [2]
50.4 He points the pistol at Greg. ÿ (1) [3]
50.5 Personal opinion, for example: I think it is unacceptable to point a pistol at
someone, because accidents happen easily and someone can be shot
dead. ÿ (1) [5]
(8 points)
Chapter 51
51.1 He was just joking and just wanted to see Greg's reaction. ÿ (1) [3]
51.2 Dirk Schutte. ÿ At the Palazzo Vecchio. ÿ (2) [1]
51.3 The pistol scares him / it makes him feel uncomfortable / he doesn't want to
touch it. ÿ One can conclude from this that Greg has probably never handled
a firearm. / Greg doesn't believe in violence. ÿ
(2) [3]
51.4 Medusa: Basilica Cistern in Istanbul. ÿ Dawid: Accademia Gallery. ÿ
(2) [2]
51.5 He brought a message for Greg. / Greg's mother asked him to bring Greg a
message. ÿ (1) [2]
(8 points)
Chapter 52
52.1 His mother is worried about him. ÿ Doc Pienaar is dead. ÿ Chris Owen was
seriously assaulted in prison and he is in the hospital's intensive care unit. ÿ
(3) [2]
52.2
(1) [2]
103
Plank called Lisa and thus Dirk knew where to get hold of them. / Plank
52.3 probably told Lisa that they were going to Italy. ÿ
The simile refers to a blade and Doc was stabbed to death (1) [3]
52.4 with a sharpened toothbrush that is wielded like a blade. ÿ
(1) [3]
52.5 The fact that he was on guard after Dirk warned him in a way that
someone wanted to kill him. ÿ (1) [4]
Personal opinion, for example: Yes, the Baker warned Greg and
52.6 because he didn't want to give up his search, he carried out the threat. ÿ (1) [3]
He is afraid that he works for the Baker and that the water is poisoned. ÿ
(8 points)
Chapter 53
53.1 Yes, Greg is considering giving up looking for the Baker because his father
was nearly killed. ÿ (1) [3]
Personal opinion, for example: Yes, all of them are evil and threaten
53.2 humanity's safety because they planned to kill people and the Baker still
kills anyone who threatens him. ÿ
53.3 Yes, he used all his contacts at the Italian embassy to get a visa. / He flew (1) [4]
from South Africa to Italy to help Greg. ÿ
53.4 He equates the search for the Baker to climbing a mountain. ÿ (1) [2]
53.5 Dirk can use his experience as a policeman to help catch the Baker. ÿ (1) [2]
(1) [3]
(5 points)
Chapter 54
54.1 Greg initially, when he got to know Xander, thought he was his friend while
Xander was just using him for revenge. ÿ
(1) [3]
54.2 He wants to crack the Baker's webcam from his laptop to determine who he
is. ÿ (1) [2]
54.3 Hyperbole/exaggeration. ÿ (1) [3]
54.4 He closed the back door access. ÿ They can remotely manipulate his
webcam through the Meterpeter program. ÿ (2) [2]
54.5 They take a picture from his webcam and see in the background a building
near water, a person sitting near them tells them that it is a church in Venice.
ÿ (1) [3]
54.6 They must travel to Venice. ÿ (1) [1]
(7 points)
Chapter 55
55.1 Venice. ÿ (1) [1]

55.2 He heard Greg-them talking on the stairs. ÿ Greg and Xander are so vigilant (1) [2]
about protecting their information on the computer,
104
but they talk openly about their plans to go to Venice. ÿ (1) [3]
55.3
Greg himself is constantly looking over his shoulder and thinks he is being (1) [3
55.4 followed, but now he accuses Xander of it. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: No, Greg was desperate to get Xander's
help in tracking down the Baker, he initially chose not to have
anything to do with Xander because (1) [4]
55.5 he destroyed their family. ÿ (1) [3]
55.6 Oxymoron. ÿ (1) [1]
Airbnb accommodation / a studio / a place where an artist sometimes
55.7 comes to work. ÿ (2) [1]
55.8 The burnt book. ÿ He sees a small spot of blood. ÿ
Professor Kabi, Thomas Lawson, General Winters, André Symington. (3) [1]
55.9 (any 3) ÿÿÿ
Personal opinion, for example: Thomas Lawson. ÿ It's strange that
Lawson keeps trying to offer his help to Greg when he did nothing to keep
Chris Owen out of jail. ÿ (2) [5]
(14 points)
Chapter 56
56.1 "The guy who wants revenge must dig two graves." ÿ This suggests that (1) [1[
you yourself will get hurt in the process. ÿ (1) [3]
56.2 Personification. ÿ (1) [3]
56.3 The Baker. ÿ (1) [1]
56.4 He thinks that Xander is socially manipulating Ayla and just abusing her
to get revenge on her father. ÿ Personal opinion, for example: No, there is (1) [3]
a special bond between Ayla and Xander and he seems to really love her. /
Ayla's father can't be the Baker because the place he works for, Doctors
Without Borders, they campaign for good health care across the
world, they won't try to kill people. ÿ
(1) [5]
(6 points)
Chapter 57
57.1 One can conclude that Greg is a good person who does not want others to
get hurt. ÿ You can infer that Greg feels something for her and wants to
protect her. ÿ (2) [3]
57.2 He finds her on the Rialto Bridge. ÿ (1) [1]
57.3 There are many tourists who speak different languages. ÿ (1) [3]
57.4 She doesn't want to believe it because she knows Xander and loves him. ÿ
She believes that her father is a good person and is not capable of evil. ÿ
(2) [3]
57.5 Ayla and her parents have never been close because she rarely sees them.
ÿ (1) [2]
57.6 The Baker is a virologist who experiments with viruses that make people
sick, similarly Xander is compared to a virus that makes people sick and
causes harm. ÿ (1) [3]
58.7 Personal opinion, for example: No, Xander warned him to stay
away from Ayla. He knows that Xander and Ayla are in a relationship and is
playing with fire. ÿ (1) [4]
(9 points)
105
Chapter 58
58.1 He says that he was busy on Chris Owen's computer. ÿ He cracked

Greg's father's Voyager miles and bought him a plane ticket
with it. ÿ (2)[2]
58.2 This is Greg's hacker pseudonym. ÿ (1) [3]
58.3 He is having an emotional breakdown. ÿ In their house in Istanbul, he and Greg
were in an exchange of words and he did
behaved similarly. ÿ (2) [3]
58.4 Prometheus is equated to Xander. ÿ It is implied that Xander (1) [2]
wanted to do good to help Greg track down the Baker because he regrets
ruining Greg and his family's lives. ÿ
(1) [3]
58.5 No, Xander has changed, he really is trying to help Greg. He wouldn't have
given up his home in Turkey if he wasn't sincere. / Xander always forgives
Greg when he makes a misstep and puts everything into the fight to make
up for the harm he did to Greg. ÿ
(1) [5]
(8 points)
Chapter 59
59.1 He watches the Baker's webcam. ÿ (1) [2]

59.2 “But even a spider's web looks innocent until the fly gets into it” / ” ... why does
the spider's web tremble at my intuition” /
"... the real guy sitting in the dark corner..." ÿ ÿ (any 2) (2) [3]
59.3 Greg doesn't trust Xander and believes he is hiding something. / He wants to
determine if Xander also thinks that Ayla's father is the Baker. ÿ (1) [3]
59.4 He hears the voices of a man and a woman, ÿ heavy piano
music ÿ and soft beeping sounds of someone dialing a number on a mobile (3) [1]
phone.
59.5 Personal opinion, for example: The Baker's Wife / Valkyrie. ÿ (1) [4]
(8 points)
Chapter 60
60.1 It is an elderly gray-headed man who combs his hair back, pale skin, (1) [1]
bushy eyebrows, prominent nose, deep wrinkles and pursed lips. ÿ Greg has
seen him twice (at Thomas Lawson's house and in the Accademia
Gallery). ÿ (1) [3]
60.2 A video is saved from the Baker's webcam to Xander's laptop hard
drive. ÿ (1) [1]
60.3 He reads about Project Coast, chemical substances and methods,
Vlakplaas and Eugene de Kock. ÿ The burned book has references
to chemical warfare and dangerous substances. ÿ (1) [2]
60.4 Dirk Schutte. ÿ Dirk was in the police for many years and will remember (1) [1]
major crime cases such as Project Coast and Sebastian Stadler that the
police were never able to arrest. ÿ (1) [3]
60.5 During a party at Thomas Lawson's house. ÿ Yes, it was strange that a (1) [2]
strange man told Greg about his cruelty to animals. / Thomas Lawson looked
tense in the Baker's presence. ÿ (1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 61
106
61.1 It refers to binary digits that can be used to crack a computer.

Xander has the Baker's laptop
cracked. ÿ (1) [3]
61.2 The police searched for Sebastian Stadler years ago, but the files and Stadler
both disappeared. ÿ (1) [2]
61.3 The kitchen is used as a battle room, they stick notes and photo printouts on
the wall to get a clear picture on how to solve the search for the Baker. ÿ
(1) [3]
On the wall of the battle room are photos and notes that are literally
61.4 (denotatively) linked together to solve the case. ÿ The thread of the web
that is knotted refers figuratively (connotatively) to how the information is
tied like a web to catch the Baker. ÿ
(2) [3]
Slag bead. ÿ Chemistry and medicine. ÿ He was involved in special
61.5 projects (Covert operations) of the army and is now working on evil projects
on his own. ÿ (3) [1]
They want to track him down by walking with cell phones and looking for him
61.6 that sends images to Xander's computer and him through
facial recognition identify. ÿ (1) [1]
(9 points)
Chapter 62
62.1 Screenshots of the video are printed and linked to the software of the facial
recognition program to detect a match with the photo of the Baker. ÿ
(1) [2]
62.2 This refers to George Orwell's book 1984 where cameras were used
to watch people for twenty-four hours of the day. / Cameras that track and
identify people. ÿ Intertextuality. ÿ
(2) [3]
62.3 Cell phones with good cameras and prepaid data. ÿ
Facial recognition program. ÿ (2) [2]
62.4 Personal opinion, for example: I think Greg is afraid that the Baker will
catch them and do the same to them as he did to Xander's father. ÿ Greg had
researched Project Coast the night before and was so shocked by the
information that it is still in his subconscious and comes up when he sleeps.
ÿ (2) [4]
62.5 Xander heard Greg screaming and thought he was in mortal danger
and wanted to protect him. ÿ (1) [3]
(8 points)
Chapter 63
63.1 Close to San Giorgio Maggiore, restaurant and places that tourists can
visit. ÿ The photo that led them to Venice had San Giorgio Maggiore in the
background and the Baker might be sightseeing or eating at a restaurant. ÿ
(2) [2]
63.2 They will be on the street for a few hours to identify the Baker and if a cell
phone is constantly taking a video, it uses a lot of battery power. ÿ
(1) [3]
63.3 Gondolas / water channels / “water streets”. ÿ (1) [2]
63.4 Greg sat down on a step of the Londra Place hotel, near the monument to
Victor Emmanuel II. ÿ He still had to fetch a "power bank" from the
apartment. ÿ
63.5 (2) [3]
107
Xander has to watch the computer screen to see when the Baker's face is (1) [1]
63.6 identified. ÿ (1) [3]
He is afraid that someone will take the mobile phone. ÿ Personal opinion, for
example: Yes, there are many tourists in Venice and anyone can take the
mobile phone. / The Baker is overslept and he could have been watching
them the whole time without them knowing about it, if he takes the cell phone, (1) [4]
the cell phone will lead him to them. ÿ
(9 points)
Chapter 64
64.1 Metaphor. ÿ (1) [3]

64.2 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, they know how dangerous the Baker can
be and should be able to protect themselves.
OR: No, Venice is full of tourists, innocent people might get hurt. ÿ (1) [4]
64.3 They notice that the mobile phone is gone. ÿ (1) [1]
64.4 A stall peddler. ÿ A cap with a lion and wings on the front. ÿ
64.5 The peddler's goal is to make money from the tourists, but now he is giving (2) [2]
something away. ÿ (1) [3]
(6 points)
Chapter 65
65.1 The reader can infer that Plank has been held captive and that he is
severely assaulted and in pain. ÿ (1) [3]
65.2 They must go to the Giardini Riali (Royal Gardens). ÿ (1) [1]
65.3 The mask she wears has a short beak like a hawk and wings beside her
head. ÿ (1) [3]
65.4 He typed a message on the phone he gave Greg to warn them that it was a
trap. ÿ He was too anxious and upset when he saw the Baker's people that (1) [2]
he did not notice the message. ÿ The thunder ÿ and the fact that one of the
group members was (1) [3]
65.5 poisoned. ÿ
(2) [3]
65.6 He recognized the umbrella with the gargoyle head carved from wood. / The
umbrella looks like the one he saw in the Accademia Gallery. ÿ
(1) [2]
65.7 In court during his father's trial. ÿ Near his apartment in Stellenbosch
when she inquired about him. (In the Accademia Gallery.) ÿ
(2) [2]
65.8 He focuses on his breathing and his senses to control the anxiety attack. ÿ
(1) [2]
65.9 Personal opinion, for example: Yes, in Macbeth, Lady Macbeth urged
her husband to kill the king, so Valkyrie urged Stadler to pull a tire over the
judge's head. ÿ
(1) [5]
(12 points)
Chapter 66
66.1 They were cousins who grew up together like brothers. ÿ

Sebastian's father was very angry and often spanked them. ÿ (2) [3]
66.2
108
The Baker planted child pornography on his computer and he was arrested for (2) [2]
66.3 it. ÿ The Baker instructed someone in the prison to kill him. ÿ
(3) [2]
66.4 He can no longer focus / he has a fever / he sweats / he looks pale / spits
mucus from his mouth. ÿÿÿ (any 3) (1) [3]
66.5 He is haughty / haughty / superior / suffers from delusions of grandeur. ÿ
This is the Baker's
web page and highlights his outlook on life. / This instills fear in the (1) [3]
characters and heightens the tension. ÿ
66.6
All the lab's computers are locked with a password. ÿ
Xander. ÿ This was his trump card, if they got into trouble. / He gathered (3) [2]
evidence to make the Baker pay for his actions. ÿ
66.7
Personal opinion, for example: Yes, just as Alexander the Great had to go about (2) [5]
it vigorously, ÿ Xander also has powerful measures in place to
achieve victory over the Baker. ÿ
(14 points)
Chapter 67
67.1 He cracked the Baker's code and deciphered all the coded files to get the
information. ÿ Information about Project Nursery Rhyme, the names of his
"powerful contacts" and his new project on mind control. ÿÿ (any 2) He wants
to give it to the FBI, SA Police and any authority that is interested in it. ÿ
Mind control / controlling and torturing someone from a distance. ÿ (4) [2]
67.2 Manipulating genes to control all people's brains. ÿ
Rain: The clouds gather, the weather thunders louder and then it starts (2) [1]
67.3 to rain. ÿÿ
Greg: The Baker says that one of them has been poisoned, Greg realizes it is
him when he has trouble focusing, sweats, becomes nauseous and spasms
from the poison spreading through his body. ÿÿ
He says that they should throw their weapons into the canal, then Ayla and Dirk (4) [3]
67.4 will take them out the gate. ÿ He takes
the antidote from Valkyrie and Plank injects him. ÿ The cap he found at the (1) [2]
67.5 hawker's stall was soaked with Paraoxon. ÿ
Consolation. (The water (rain) is comforting to Greg on page 344.) ÿ (2) [1]
67.6
The Baker bound his body with sacks, chained weights to his ankles and threw (1) [3]
67.7 him into the sea. ÿ
Xander loses his mind when he hears how the Baker got rid of his father's (1) [2]
67.8 body and shoots the Baker dead. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: I would have just wounded him and called the (1) [3]
67.9 police to arrest him. (any acceptable opinion) ÿ
(1) [5]
(17 points)
Chapter 68
68.1 The Grand Canal. ÿ This snake is literally a canal full of water, ÿ while (1) [1]
the previous chapter refers to snakes as evil people. ÿ
(2) [3]
68.2
109
She initially fled, ÿ but then jumped onto a speedboat, crashed into the (2) [2]
68.3 group's boat and shot at them. ÿ
He is a good friend and forgiving. / He is a dreamer who always focuses on
positive things. / He is humorous because he breaks up serious situations (2) [3]
68.4 with humor. ÿÿ (any 2)
Xander apologizes to Greg for what he did to him in the past ÿ and Greg (2) [2]
68.5 forgives him. ÿ Xander figuratively wants to wash the
blood of the Baker he shot dead off his hands. ÿ By taking revenge and
shooting someone dead, you commit a sin and become just like the people
you hate, so he also has a sin to wash off. ÿ (2) [3]
68.6
Valkyrie's speedboat collides with theirs and they are fired upon. ÿ Plank (2) [2]
68.7 dies in the channel. ÿ
Both will experience guilt even if they succeeded in taking revenge. ÿÿ
OR:
Xander has blood on his hands and has to live with the knowledge that he is
guilty of murder. ÿ Greg will blame himself for letting his best friend die. ÿ (2) [5]
68.8
In chapter 1 there is part of a newspaper article that confirms that
someone dies in Venice and anticipation is created because the reader
wants to know who it is. ÿ In chapter 68 it is revealed who died and why the (2) [3]
newspapers reported that Greg Owen was dead. ÿ
68.9 The transponder meant for Greg Owen was implanted in Plank's hand
so the police thought it was Greg who was dead. ÿ (1) [2]
(18 points)
Epilogue
1. It indicates that everything that happened in the past is erased so that

everyone can start a new life. ÿ (1) [3]
2. Third person narrator. ÿ At the end of the novel, all the characters are
looked at from the outside and it is not only told from Greg's perspective. /
The third-person narrator focuses not only on Greg's emotions, but also on his (1) [1]
father's. ÿ (1) [4]
3. It prison space. / Kgosi Mampuru II Prison. (1) [1]
4. It refers to Plank's funeral. ÿ (1) [1]
5. He confesses to Greg that he was not a good father and apologizes. ÿ He
tells Greg that he doesn't have to feel guilty if he doesn't want to come
again. ÿ (2) [3]
6. Personal opinion, for example: Yes, someone who wants to kill innocent
people deserves to be imprisoned for life.
Or: No, Chris Owen realizes he did wrong and every sinner deserves
another chance to right what he did wrong. ÿ
(1) [4]
7. Sometimes there are great challenges and setbacks in one's life that are
very difficult to overcome. ÿ (1) [3]
8. Personal opinion, for example: I have come to the realization that it is not
worth taking revenge because you can get hurt yourself. ÿ
(1) [5]
(10 points)
110
5. Possible answers of concept paper
MARKING GUIDELINES
If a candidate gives two answers and the first answer is wrong, but the second answer is correct, the
first answer is marked and the second answer is ignored.
If answers are numbered incorrectly, the answers are marked according to the marking guidelines.
Language errors in contextual questions are not penalised. If a spelling error affects the meaning of
the answer, it is marked as incorrect. If the spelling error does not affect the meaning of the answer, it
is considered correct.
Essay questions:
If the literary essay is shorter than the required length, the candidate is not penalized for having penalized
himself/herself. If the literary essay is too long, assess it on merit. The marking guidelines are only a
guideline, therefore other relevant content should be considered correct. Use the essay question
marking rubrics attached to the novel to mark the essay question.
Contextual questions:
111
If a candidate does not use quotation marks where a question requires them, the candidate
is not penalised.
For open questions, no marks are awarded for YES/NO/I AGREE/I DISAGREE. The
reason/motivation must be considered.
No marks are awarded for TRUE/FALSE or FACT/OPINION. The reason/motivation/

evidence deserves the point.
Do not mark words; check meaning.
QUESTION 1: DARK WEB – ESSAY QUESTION
This question is marked using the RUBRIC FOR MARKING THE ESSAY QUESTION FOR
THE NOVEL AND DRAMA.
PLEASE NOTE:
• It is a broad framework of facts.
• All the facts are not mentioned.
The candidate writes an appropriate introduction.
• Water is referred to denotatively and connotatively as Greg together

with Tom in the NG Mother Church in Stellenbosch. The baptismal font in the church
is literally filled with water when someone is baptized, but refers to the figurative sins of
the person being washed away. (denotative and connotative)
• The river on the pulpit has a figurative meaning, while Tom's body is literally found
in the First River. A River of Living Water is a positive reference that depicts the Bible
and its promises as living water. The next chapter's title is “A River of Dead Water”.
In this chapter Tom's corpse is (denotatively) in the black water of the

First River found. This contrasts with the words on the pulpit. In the climax of
the novel, the Baker refers figuratively (connotatively) to "snakes crawling in an
underworld river of blood."
(denotative and connotative)
• The palindrome: "Wash off the sins, not just the face," can
be interpreted literally (denotatively) and figuratively (connotatively).
Xander goes to show Greg the Hagia Sophia. The Hagia Sophia has the
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had palindromic inscription in the first stone fonts. The meaning of the palindrome:
"Wash the sins off, not just the face", alludes figuratively to Greg's sins. He must
confess that he is a sinner before Xander will help him. (denotative and connotative)
• The Basilica Cistern is the physical location where Greg meets Xander.
It is called the Sunken Palace and used to be a water reservoir.
The entire floor of the Basilica Cistern is covered with water and there are fish
swimming in the water. Greg sees Xander's image in the reflection of the water.
(denotative)
• Place names of certain spaces in the novel are (denotatively) near water.
Greg visits Thomas Lawson at his seaside home in Clifton. Reference is made to
Jeffreys Bay where the Owens' holiday home is. Xander's house has a view of the
Golden Horn, the inlet of the Bosphorus. The Baker's house is next to the Arno
River in Florence. Venice is the city of water.
(denotative)
• Xander is afraid that the bottle of water, which Dirk offers Greg,
poisoned. Xander doesn't trust Dirk. Dirk calls the water "windpump
sherry". (denotative) Both Dirk and Xander drink some of the water to prove that
neither of them is afraid. (connotative)
• The Baker tells that they threw Xander's father's body into the sea.
The Bakers say they bagged Judge Gericke's body, tied weights to his ankles and
flew over the ocean. Before he could finish his story, Xander shoots him dead.
(denotative)
• Valkyrie mockingly offers Greg water in the Royal
Gardens. Greg becomes nauseous due to the poison in his body. Valkyrie
mocks him when she asks if he wants water and laughs at him. (denotative)
• The Baker refers to water as something that is connected with
transformation, purification and cleansing, but he does not believe in it.
He says mockingly: "Let's wash off the sins and see where it gets us.
(connotative)
• The Baker has an umbrella with a gargoyle head to keep him from getting wet
when it rains. He had the umbrella in the Accademia gallery when he talked to
Greg at the David statue. The Baker was standing under the umbrella in the
Royal Gardens when it started to rain. (denotative)
• Progression occurs in the last few chapters because the
possibility of rain increases and it finally starts to rain. Clouds gather together
ÿ the clouds rumble ÿ it gets darker ÿ the clouds descend lower ÿ there is a rumble
ÿ and the first drops fall ÿ a heavy rattle ÿ “Through the rain mists I watch
them puddle... bright red streams. " (denotative) The gathering clouds and the
eventual rain support the growing tension.
• The rain is figuratively a source of comfort for Greg. "The drops fall lightly on my
face as if they wanted to comfort me." (connotative)
• Dangerous weapons end up in the water of the Grand Canal. Xander orders the
Baker's men to throw their firearms into the canal. He
also throws the pistol he used to kill the Baker into the canal.
(denotative) He washed his hands in the canal as if to figuratively wash the blood
off his hands. (connotative)
• Plank dies in the Grand Canal. Valkyrie's speedboat collides with Greg-
them and they end up in the water. Later, Plank's body is pulled from the canal.
(denotative)
The candidate writes an appropriate conclusion.
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(25)
QUESTION 2: DARK WEB – CONTEXTUAL QUESTIONS
2.1 The words in italics are part of written words in text messages between Greg
and Xander. / It is thus separated from the narrator's train of thought. / This
emphasizes that these are messages and not part of a physical conversation
(dialogue). ÿ
(1) [3]
He thought Xander was referring to the video he took of Tom's corpse. ÿ He

2.2 sends the Baker the video to determine the IP address of his computer. / He
wants to know in which country the Baker is. ÿ
(2) [3]
Chris Owen, Doc and the Baker were partners in Project Nursery Rhyme.
2.3 ÿ The Baker's people broke into Greg's apartment and left a message on the
sliding door: "You and your hacker buddy have to let me out." Xander is the
hacker buddy. / Xander's friend Tom visited Greg and was killed by the Baker.
ÿ (2) [3]
Greg wants the Baker to go to jail with Doc and his father and also to pay
for his involvement in Project Nursery Rhyme. / He does this for his family's
2.4 name, it is a matter of honor for him. ÿ
Xander realizes that the Baker was also responsible for his father's
disappearance and wants to know what happened to his father. / He wants
revenge on the Baker, because he knows that he killed his father. ÿ
(2) [2]
Personal opinion, for example: Yes, Greg knows how good Xander is at
2.5 hacking that's why he needs him. He would never have managed to make
the Baker pay for his actions on his own.
ÿ
OR: No, Xander abused Greg before to get revenge and he can do it
again. / It's actually his fault that Greg feels guilty for unknowingly putting his
father behind bars as well. ÿ
(1) [4]
A comparison. ÿ
2.6 (1) [1]
There was a threatening message on his apartment's sliding door ordering him
2.7 to leave him alone. / Someone stalked his mother in a shopping
center in Johannesburg and sent photos to Greg on his Dropbox. / A person
in the holding cells warned Greg that he had to let go of the Baker or his father
would get hurt. / The day after they met, Tom's body was left at the wooden
bridge over which he walked to university every day as a warning. (Tom's
tongue is cut out.) ÿÿ (any 2)
Perseverance / determination (or a description such as: He does not give up (2) [2]
and finishes what he started.) ÿ
(1) [3]
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A note concerning the Baker and a burnt book. ÿ Xander saw that these were
2.8 formulas for dangerous poisons that were used in chemical warfare such as
Project Coast and with a similar project on the Internet (The Dark Web and
Elsewhere's web page) tried to provoke the Baker so that they could arrest him.
ÿ
(2) [3]
Personal opinion, for example: Xander does not feel safe in South Africa,
2.9 because his friend Tom has already been killed by the Baker in
Stellenbosch. / Xander knows that the Baker knows where Greg lives, but he
doesn't know where Xander lives because he is very security conscious and
protects his identity. ÿ
(1) [4]
It takes place in the Royal Gardens (Giardini Reali) in Venice.
2.10 (Full answer required)
(1) [2]
A stall hawker gave Greg a cap and showed where the person who took the
2.11 mobile had disappeared to. They found Plank with the cell phone in his hand
and he told them that there was a woman waiting for them in the Royal
Gardens. ÿ
(1) [3]
Rian wanted to tell the police about Project Nursery Rhyme so he had to stop
2.12 him. ÿ
Personal opinion, for example: The Baker may have heard that Doc wants to tell (1) [2]
the police where the Baker lives. ÿ
(1) [4]
The first-person narrator (I-narrator). ÿ This type of narrator is appropriate
2.13 because it provides credibility because Greg himself can reproduce his (1) [1]
observation about the effects of the poison on his body. / The first person
narrator is Greg Owen and he can best convey his emotions about the effect of
the poison on his body. / The type of narrator is effective because it emphasizes
how Greg steels himself against the effect of the poison he has to
withstand. ÿ
(The evaluation must refer to the specific rules - no generic answers
are accepted.)
(1) [5]
Snakes. ÿ Greg met some of the Baker's powerful contacts at Thomas Lawson's
2.14 dinner. / In Thomas Lawson's dwelling in Clifton. ÿ
(2) [2]
He hacked the Baker's computer and took control of his lab's
2.15 computers. / He informed him that if he didn't do what he said he would give
the police evidence regarding his project on mind control and his
involvement in Project Nursery Rhyme. / He ordered the Baker to tell his guards
to throw their firearms into the canal, then Greg could take the antidote from
Valkyrie and administer the injection to Plank. ÿ
(1) [3]
Personal opinion, for example: Yes, he shot the Baker and he will never be able
2.16 to bother them again.
OR: No, he now has blood on his hands and he will have to live with a guilty
conscience that he killed someone. / Valkyrie is
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still at large. She might get revenge on Xander for shooting her husband. (1) [5]
ÿ
(25)
6. Glossary of literary terms
Antagonist
The antagonist is the opposing character who makes the protagonist feel threatened. He
thus causing him struggle and crisis.
Example: In Dark Web, the Baker, Sebastian Stadler, is the antagonist who for
Making Greg feel threatened. Greg feels that the Baker must atone for his actions. The Baker
uses his henchmen to terrorize Greg. This causes Greg
wondering if he should abandon the search for the Baker.
Atmosphere/mood and tone

The atmosphere or mood can be described as a feeling atmosphere that is usually through
description or action is invoked.
Example: The atmosphere in the Owens' house is gloomy because of Chris Owen's
involvement in a crime and his imprisonment in Kgosi Mampuru II Prison.
Message
When the main character comes to a different or new insight, it can be a particular
value that can be pursued by the reader and audience.
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Example: In the conclusion of Dark Web, Greg feels that you cannot be yourself
protected against the onslaughts of life and that you must be "bombproof".
Chronologically
Chronological time passage is when events in the story are in the order of time
follow each other.
Example: The events in Dark Web follow each other.
Denotation
Denotation refers to the literal meaning as it would appear in a dictionary.

That which you can physically observe.
Example: In the Basilica Cistern Greg sees an image of the head of Medusa which
is full of snakes.
Third person narrator

This type of narrator has limited omniscience. The story is described by
the eyes of one of the characters.
Example: In the prologue of Dark Web, the story events from the
perspective of Xander Gericke presented.
Dialogue
Dialogue is a conversation between two or more people in which there is sometimes a
exchange of words takes place. This often leads to new insights. It illuminates the inner
action of the character; in this way the causes and effects of the
conflict highlighted. Dialogue and language use also reflect characters' socio-
social background.
Example: In the dialogue between Greg and his father during his visit to his father in the
prison the reader can infer that Chris Owen holds his son responsible for his
jail time. His father's crude language on page 78 shows that he is aggressive and
that there is not a good relationship between father and son.
First person narrator

This type of narrator is one of the characters in the novel. This is the best type
narrator to ensure credibility because the narrator expresses his emotions and
feelings can best be described.
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Example: Greg Owen, the main character is the narrator from chapter 1 to 68. "I
try to distract me for a moment because I know I have to sleep."
(page 14)
Emotions
Emotions are the inner experience or feeling of, for example, joy, anxiety, anger,
jealousy, malice or sadness that emerges spontaneously or through a particular
situation is raised. However, emotions are not only about subjective feelings
not accompanied, but also with bodily reactions and specific behaviour.
Example: Greg's mother tells him in chapter 1 how she says to her son, John
suicidal sometimes when she was alone her sad emotions cried out. Her
reference to the "damned house" emphasizes her emotional frustration.
Exposition
In the exposition, the reader/audience gets to know the background, space and the characters.
Example: The prologue and the first six chapters of Dark Web are the
exposition of the novel.
Ellipse
The ellipse is also called the ellipsis or the dots. It fulfills different
functions. This can indicate that a character's speaking turn is incomplete because
someone interrupted him/her. This draws attention to an important part
which follows and heightens the tension. In some cases it indicates a short break. 'a
Part that is omitted is indicated by the ellipsis and the reader can think for himself
what the character wanted to say.
Example: The Baker says on page 332: "One of you ... is poisoned."
Fragmentary
When the course of the novel does not follow one another chronologically, but the
present and past alternate each other through time jumps like flashbacks.
Example: Although Dark Web is written in chronological order, there are especially
in chapter 1 and 2 flashbacks to the previous novel, Underworld, referring to
Greg's brother's suicide and Lawson College that Greg left in his matric year.
Credibility
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Credibility refers to the condition or quality of something or someone

is reliable. Is the novel written in such a way that it is supported with facts so that the
characters and events can be believed, in other words that they are believable?
Example: The author of Dark Web has done a lot of research for the content
to make the book credible. On page 356 there is a summary of wares
facts that support the content.
Point of view or focus

The angle at which a subject is seen from a certain point of view.
Example: In the prologue, the third person narrator is used. The prologue becomes
told from the point of view of twelve-year-old Xander. The rest of the novel becomes
told from Greg's point of view.
repetition
Repetition is done for the sake of elevation and emphasis. It also creates
stress and indicate contrast. Certain expressions are repeated because they connect
to the theme or subthemes of the story.
Example: "Wash the sins off too, not just the face." (pages 96, 134, 205 and
333)
Hyperbole
It is when something is exaggerated to make it more impressive or to
emphasizes.
Example: "It's Venice," says Uncle Dirk. "There are tourists everywhere. They pod from the
paving out.” (page 318)
Main character (see also protagonist)

The main character is also known as the protagonist and all the events in the novel
focus on him. Most of the telling time is given to him/her.
Example: Greg Owen is the main character in Dark Web.
Attitude
The attitude of a character is the way of action or the behavior that a character
open up about how he/she feels about an issue.
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Example: The Baker suffers from delusions of grandeur and has a superior attitude
towards all those who do not pursue his purpose and values. "Because I'm lame
hate people.” (page 338)
Inner conflict
A character experiences intense emotions that he wrestles with in his mind. He/she regrets
about a matter that he/she cannot process.
Example: Greg experiences inner conflict when his father is assaulted in prison and
ended up in the hospital as a result of his frantic search for the Baker. He considered
to abandon the search.

Intertextuality
A repetition of words or a quotation from another written text such as the words
from a song, a movie, a book or a poem.
Example: "Big Brother is watching you." - a quote from the novel, 1984, by
George Orwell.
Intrigue
This is the story plan/plan of the dramatic course (the "plot"). Things happen like this
unfolds that a line of tension is built up that eventually leads to the climax of the
novel developed.
Example: Greg's father is in prison while he is studying in Stellenbosch. Because of the
criticism from others regarding his father's crime, Greg decides to raise the Baker
track. He joins Xander in Turkey. They follow his trail to Florence and
Venice. Xander shoots the Baker dead and Greg reconciles with his father.
Irony
The opposite of what is said is meant. The events go differently than
what the reader/audience expects.

Example: On page 241, the reader expects Greg to choose Plank over Xander,
but then he goes on with Xander, leaving Plank behind in Turkey.
Characterization technique
The way the reader gets to know a character, for example through dialogue, appearance,
clothing or what other characters say about him/her.
Example: Thomas Lawson is a respected businessman. he is english speaking
the vernacular of most international businessmen. His clothing, the cosmetic

120
surgery implied by his tightened face, his trophy wife and the
opportunities he wants to offer Greg characterize him as someone who thinks money
can buy everything.
Character trait
A characteristic that is unique to a character as the reader gets to know the character through her
action, dialogue or attitude. For example, a character can be selfish, jealous or
be unfit
Example: Plank is a good friend who breaks up serious situations with humor. "Hey,
you nice hacker!”
Character development
The main character changes over the course of the novel. He/she acts differently than
at the beginning and come to an understanding.
Example: Greg is stubborn in continuing his quest for revenge

the Baker. He gradually realizes that he has a lot to lose when his father is assaulted
by the Baker. Eventually he loses his best friend, Plank, and reconciles with
his father Greg changes from an insecure, naive young person to someone who, as a result
from obstacles, growing to maturity.
Sound imitation
It is the imitation of sound represented by a word.
Example: Pebbles scratch under our feet. (page 327)
Climax
The climax is the culmination of the structure of the novel.

Example: The climax in Dark Web takes place in the Royal Gardens in Venice
when Xander shot and killed the Baker.
Conflict
Conflict or collision occurs when two forces are opposed to each other.
Inner conflict occurs when the conflict in the mind of a character
happen. This happens when tension is created in the character by the conflict
of emotions, desires, needs or fears, and when one feeling or urge the
trying to get the upper hand over another.
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Example: Greg and Xander are constantly in conflict because Greg has certain information from
withhold him and they distrust each other.
Connotation
It is the figurative meaning of a word or expression.
Example: The Baker refers to his business acquaintances as snakes because they are all evil
and is corrupt.
Contrast
It is a contrast where people/things/ideas/situations are set against each other or
compared to each other.
Example: Greg is amazed by the light in the arrival hall of the Istanbul
airport, expecting Xander to meet them there, but he chooses a dark one
meeting place, the Basilica Cistern.
Crisis
The crisis is the part of the structure of the novel where the tension is more intense
touches and is just before the climax of the novel.
Example: The crisis arises when Xander and Greg are ambushed and it appears as if
the Baker will deal with them. / When Greg realized that he was the one who was poisoned
and can die.
Metaphor
In a metaphor, the image is placed in the place of the actual representation or two
matters related to each other are equated.
Example: One snakehead, Doc, is dead. Another snakehead, my father, is in ICU…”
Environment
The milieu in the novel includes time, space and background. The novel is written
against a certain background and time slot within which the characters act in space.
Example: This novel takes place in different spaces in South Africa, Istanbul,
Florence and Venice off.
Motive
A motif is a character, incident, object or abstract idea that is constantly in the
novel emerges. We usually speak of a recurring or continuous motif.

122
The function of a motif is to bind the novel into a unity and important
raise thoughts.
Example: Snakes are often referred to in this novel.
Motto/Epigraph
This is a short, powerful quote at the beginning of the novel that serves as background for the
read the novel. The motto suggests to the reader what the story is about.
It is usually italicized because it is a quotation from another written
work is.
Example: There are three mottos in Dark Web, for example: In the face of pain
there are no heroes.
Motor moment
The motor moment is that moment in the structure of the novel where the
action is initiated.
Example: Greg's decision to locate the Baker is the motor moment.
Naming
Certain names of the characters are related to famous figures or are symbolic of
Earth.
Example: The narrator equates Xander Greicke with Alexander the Great who
by forceful action the Gordian knot was cut through with his sword
as Xander manages to expose the Baker's crimes through ransomware
set.
Side character
All the important characters that bring out the main character, Greg Owen's characteristics
bring and contribute to his character development are side characters.
Example: For example, Xander, Plank and Chris Owen are side characters.
Oxymoron
Two contradictory words that form a contrast are placed directly next to each other.
Example: I sleep awake.
Dénouement/descent/unwinding
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The denouement, denouement or resolution indicates the end of the novel and is the
last part of the novel.
Example: The epilogue where Greg visits his father in prison is the
denouement of the novel.
Paradox
This is a statement that seems to contain a contradiction, but which on a deeper,

spiritual level is still true, for example "to live you must die" or "keeping quiet is also
an answer”.
Example: "I am alone among all these people." (page 39)
parallelism (similarity)
Parallelism arises when the same thought in two ways, with slight
variation, is expressed.
Example: Xander uses the story of Prometheus from Greek mythology as
parallel for his own feelings of guilt and remorse for what he did to Greg.
Personification
This figure of speech refers to giving human characteristics to inanimate things,

like, for example, the window peeping through the leaves, time marching on, the wind
crying around the corners.
Example: It's a vibrant city that straddles Asia and Europe.

(page 155)
Progression
Progression indicates the progress or development that builds up to a culmination and
is used to increase the voltage.
Example: In the space of the Royal Gardens, the tension becomes progressive
heightened by the gathering clouds, begins to rumble and rattle and finally begins
it's raining
Protagonist
The protagonist is the character whose feelings and experiences are usually central
be set.
Example: Greg Owen.
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Fringe characters/extras
Marginal characters are less important characters that play no significant role in the
novel does not perform.
Example: The woman at the guest house in Beaufort West, the unknown student at
the Windows act, Greg's maid and the motorcyclist watching Greg.
Round character
Main characters are sometimes called round characters because they

undergoing character development.
Example: Greg is a rounded character who grows spiritually and comes to the realization that a
you cannot protect yourself from the obstacles in life.
Space
It is not only the physical space, but also the mental space that the
include atmosphere and mood, which affect the characters and cause them
respond to the space.
Example: The space in the Kgosi Mampuru II prison is different from the
rich man's life that Chris Owen was used to. The noise, bad food and
unhealthy conditions cause him to look thinner and more bent. He is too
frustrated with his circumstances.
Sarcasm
Sarcasm is a way of speaking where the person is actually exactly the

mean the opposite of what he/she says. Sarcasm is usually used to
mock and/or hurt.
Example: "At least you're a bucket full of sunshine, aren't you?" (page 60) Dain February
is sarcastic about Greg's evasive attitude.
Symbol
A symbol is a sign or object that represents another matter. A person

can also act as a symbol of a specific group of people. Familiar symbols are the
cross, representing Christianity, and the skull, representing danger.
Example: Water is the symbol of cleansing and purification in the palindrome: Wash
the sins off, not just the face.
125
Synecdoche
Synecdoche is partial indication, only a part is mentioned while the whole
actually meant.
Example: Nicole gets out of the car with “a bundle of blankets” on page 81.
She not only has a bundle of blankets in her hands, but her baby, Colette.
Tension
Suspense is an important element in any novel. When tension is created,
the spectator wonders what will happen next.
Example: The Baker sends a message to Greg and Xander warning them that
he might find them before they can find him.
Mood/atmosphere and tone

A feeling usually evoked by description. It can be sober,
mocking, cheerful, tense, sad, frivolous, etc. be.
Example: There is a tense atmosphere when Greg notices that Xander and Ayla are the
discovered a burnt book and expected answers from him.
Stereotyping
Stereotyping is a standardized idea or view of someone or something.
Example: Greg is stereotyped as a "loser" who his father threw to the wolves.
Subplot
Less important events in the novel. It usually supports the plot in the
novel.
Example: Greg and Nicole's reunion on pages 81 to 83 is not that important,

but it supports the fact that Greg is changing.
Suggestion/implied meaning
When something is suggested or implied, it is not directly stated, but
the reader must deduce between the lines what the message of the writer is.
Example: The twelve-year-old Xander Gericke sees in the prologue that the people at
arriving at their house in search of his father are not the usual visitors, but strange
men in jeans and black T-shirts suggesting that they are not friends of his father
not.
126
Language use
Language is used to emphasize the characteristics of a certain person or group
or to characterize.
Example: The young people in the novel's use of language is characteristic of youth
who uses slang that is a mixture of Afrikaans and English. It makes the story
believable, because this is the way today's young people talk.
Theme
The main idea or core of a novel is called the theme. The reader/audience wants
have a theme whose core is a current life issue and about which they can
ponder.
Example: The proverb: "The guy who wants revenge must dig two graves."
emphasizes the theme that there are obstacles in life and that one will himself
get hurt if you want to hurt someone else.
Flash back
A flashback is a reference to an event or a conversation that happened in the past
happened.
Example: In chapter 2 there are flashbacks to Greg's last day at Lawson
College.
Title
The title is the "name" of the novel or a chapter in the novel. It gives the reader
an indication of what the novel or a chapter in the novel is about.
Example: Dark Web.
Tritagonist
The tritagonist stands between the warring parties. This character can be several
fulfill roles, such as the cause of the conflict, or the helper of the belligerent
parties.
Example: Xander Gericke helps Greg make the Baker pay for his actions.
External conflict
When two warring parties physically confront each other through, for example, a
fight with fists or with weapons or have an altercation, it becomes external conflict
named. A piercing gaze can also be an example of external conflict.
127
Example: Xander smashes Plank's cell phone for endangering their lives
by calling Lisa and making friends with the Turkish peddler. (page 185)
Procrastination technique
A writer sometimes uses the delay technique to keep the reader curious so that
he/she will end up reading the novel because he/she wants to know what will happen.
Example: In chapter 1 the newspaper article refers to Greg Owen who has passed away,
but in chapter 68 it is revealed that it is actually Plank who is dead and that
his body was mistakenly identified as Greg's due to the transponder that
was meant for Greg, but was planted in his hand.
Comparison
Two cases with common characteristics are compared. The words
like, just like, as or as if are used to indicate agreement,
for example: he is as slow as a turtle.
Example: Ayla's laugh sounds like bells.
Telling time
This refers to the time it takes to read the story.
Example: The narrative time in this novel is 346 pages.
Told Time
The time told is the period covered in the story or the length of time.
Example: The told time in Dark Web is about six months.
Development/development phase
The development/development represents the largest part of the plot
of the novel.
Example: The part begins with Greg's decision to locate the Baker, his search
and their eventual meeting in the Royal Gardens.
Pun
Pun occurs when a word or an expression that more than one
meaning has been used in such a way that all the different meanings apply.
The expression then takes on a double meaning.
128
Example: “... somewhere between the upper and the lower world. Or maybe the other world."
(page 147)
7. Glossary of words in the text
Algorithms Prescribed process or set of rules for operations and

problem solving.
alcoholic Someone who is addicted to drink.
anxiety attack Intense fear accompanied by symptoms such as

palpitations, dizziness and nausea.
anonymity
Namelessness.
Bombproof Cannot be damaged by a bomb.
bromance A particularly close friendship between two men.
chaos Disorder/confusion.
Porter.
concierge
deduction Deduction.
maze A place that has dead ends / where you can easily get
lost. (maze)
wire sitter Someone who can't decide which way to go / who doesn't
want to choose a side.
encrypted Coded. (document protected by a code)
pharmacology Learn about making medicinal plant substances for

medical purposes.
Fierce Pride.
forcers Fresher.
fresco A mural with watercolor on wet, fresh

whitewash
front company A company that exists only on paper and is used to hide
another company's activities.
gargoyle
A monstrous (animal) figure carved from wood.
129
gondola A tiny rowboat in Venice with a sharp point.
introspection Self-examination.
karma The extent of man's actions during his earthly existence.
cobblestones Round or square stone or hard stone with which streets are paved.
carpet A handwoven carpet.
clandestine Secrets.
clone An exact image or duplicate of the original.
cumin An Egyptian spice plant, the seeds of which are used.
envelopes Military operations that are carried out but cannot be linked to a certain
group.
quantum physics A branch of physics that uses quantum theory to describe and predict
the properties of a physical system.
quasi-psychology Kamma or so-called psychology.
trap A plan devised to ambush someone.
Impressive.
majestic
memorabilia Memorabilia to remember a special occasion or time period.
metadata Information that is stored in the background and describes other data such
as the author, date and size of the file on the computer.
A microchip containing a unique code to identify something or someone.

microchip
mosque A temple where Muslims worship.
Schematic representation of the structure of a company.

organogram
Cooperation between two parties on certain conditions.

pact
Persecution madness, the person believes that he is

paranoia
constantly being pursued.
A sophisticated electronic device that stores and transfers power to
power bank another device such as a mobile phone.
130
boardwalk Walkway/promenade.
randsomware Ransomware / This is a type of virus that obtains information

on the victim's computer. The person may threaten to
disclose the information or block access on the computer
until the victim pays the ransom.
reminisce (reminiscence) A vague memory of something.
resonance Reverberation/ vibration.
semantics Learning meaning.
simit Turkish round bun sprinkled with sesame seeds.
ceasefire Usually in war situations where an agreement is

made to temporarily stop firing. In Dark Web, it is rather a
mutual agreement between Xander and Greg to put
aside their differences and work together.
scornfully Insulting / belittling / treating with contempt.
Blemish Disgrace
Attic room A room at the top of the house. / A room between the
beams and the ceiling.
Gloomy Gloomy/sad/sad atmosphere.
Spasm A painful contraction of muscles.
Witty Sharp minded.
studio Studio.
rigging work A system of pulleys and ropes for lifting heavy objects.
assess To look at someone summarily to determine the value of a

person's character.
Slim.
petite
terminus Terminus. (bus station)
terrorism Violence / reign of terror / terrorist acts being committed.
Italian restaurants.
trattoria(s)
131
trophy wife A beautiful, young woman that a husband can brag about.
Trojan A dangerous computer virus that looks harmless but

can control a computer and cause a lot of damage.
tsunami A series of tidal waves caused by underground

landslides. (used as metaphor in Dark Web.)
Voyager miles SAA-Voyager members can earn loyalty points if they make
purchases by card or cash at a Total filling station
and use them to purchase plane tickets.
(1 liter of fuel=1 Voyager mile)

frank Sharp sour/bitter taste.
water reservoir Storage pond for water.

water taxi A vessel that transports passengers for a fee on the
water from one point to the next, almost like a public bus.
Zeros and ones Binary digits (1 and 0) used in the operation of a

computer.
132
SECTION B & C: ASSESSMENT RUBRIC FOR LITERARY ESSAY – HOME LANGUAGE: NOVEL AND DRAMA
[25 MARKS] 2020

Criteria Exceptional 12 Nice 9 Average 6 - 8 Elementary Insufficient
CONTENTS -15 - 11 4-5 0-3
-Exceptional -Shows understanding - -Unsatisfactory -No understanding
Interpretation of response: 14 – 15 of the topic and has Reasonable interpretation of the of the subject
subject matter. -Excellent interpreted the topic interpretation of the subject: almost -Poor attempt to
Depth of response: 12 – 13 well subject; not no aspects explored answer the
argument, -In-depth examine all aspects in detail question
accountability interpretation of -Response quite in detail - Arguments do not
and insight into text. topic detailed -Some good -Few points supporting convince
-Series of striking -Some thorough points in the topic - Learner does not
15 POINTS arguments that arguments given, but support of the topic have the genre
are properly from not all equally -Very few relevant and text under control
the novel/drama well -Some arguments are arguments
is backed up motivated supported, but -Little understanding
-Excellent understanding -Clear understanding evidence not always of genre and text
of the genre and of genre and text convincing
text
-Basic
understanding of
the genre and text
STRUCTURE AND 8 - 10 6-7 4–5 2-3 0-1
LANGUAGE
-Coherent structure -Clear structure -Some evidence -Structure shows -Lack of
-Logical flow of of structure signs of poor planned structure
Structure, logical -Excellent argument -Logic and planning hinders flow of
flow and presentation. introduction and conclusion -Introduction, coherence are -Arguments not arguments
Language, tone and -Arguments are well conclusion and clear, but with errors logically arranged -Language
style used in essay. structured and other paragraphs errors and faulty
there is clear organized coherently -Some language errors; -Language errors style make this
development -Language, tone and tone and style significant piece of writing fail
10 POINTS -Language, tone and style are largely mostly appropriate -Tone and style not -Style and tone not
style are mature, correct -Paragraphing not suitable suitable
impressive and mostly correct -Paragraphing -Paragraphing
correct error error
133
8. Source list
Labuschagne, FJ & Eksteen, LC 2011. 9th edition. Explanatory Afrikaans Dictionary. Cape
Town: Pharos.
Internet links: http://

www.fanieviljoen.co.za/tuis/biografie-2/ http://www.sun.ac.za/
afrikaans/Pages/Historical-Background.aspx https://.maryarrchie.com/ /medusa-in-
greek-myth/ https://af.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia:Computational
terms https://www.britannica.com//video/167573/video-Istanbul https://
www.britannica. com/topic/Valkyrie-Norse-mythology https://
www.britannica.com/video/179470/Overview-Turkey https://www.history.com/
news/what-was-the-gordian-knot https:/ /www.sun.ac.za/english/entities/
archives/Documents/1957%20Matielan d%202.pdf Istanbul
www.ancient.eu>Medusa
www.ancient.eu>Prometheus
Photo references - internet links
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/78017f85-554f-4f5b-a27c-19508dfae5a0
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/8650987f-bc43-4cfd-8797-a3c649bcb41e
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/b0db220a-115f-4c19-91e2-919ea427514e
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/e1a189a6-11ee-4434-8dcb-57c63d000bdc
https://api.creativecommons.engineering/v1/thumbs/e339cb9c-d5ce-4796-a41e-26eba4d405a4
https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/8650987f-bc43-4cfd-8797-a3c649bcb41e
https://ccsearch.creativecommons.org/photos/f039cc37-02d0-4dc4-886d-3f402d816820
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/e2/a7/23/e2a723a46a1c453ec05c59a473704463.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/2192/2391850210_e7be6c1585_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/3107/2873332621_8342f83c1b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/3893/14489256282_0872b2670a_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/728/31554471745_75772e271b_b.jpg
https://live.staticflickr.com/7409/11409270084_9c2a5af97a_b.jpg
https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/7addd32c-f8a3-4f51-a36e-5eed9e9cc472 https://
search.creativecommons.org/photos/c4e353c7-5436-4c12-8a8c-659d1b571071
https://search.creativecommons.org/photos/c4e353c7-5436-4c12-8a8c-659d1b571071 https://
upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/1a/Ambigram_palindrome_%CE%9D%CE%99
%CE%A8%CE%9F%CE%9D%CE%91%CE%9D%CE%9F%CE%9C%CE%97%CE%9C%CE%91%CE%A4%CE%
91%CE %9C%CE%97%CE%9C%CE%9F%CE%9D%CE%91%CE%9D%CE%9F%CE%A8%CE%99%CE%9D_%2
8Wash_your_sins%2C_not_only_your_face%2C_in_Greek% 29.jpg/640px-
https://www.google.co.za/search?q=istanbul+airport+arrivals&sxsrf=ALeKk03StE1AId9CSXZjlbx_WtUVxhG
B1w:1600512167919&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjPtei5hPXrAhV0QUEAHVIEA-UQ_AU
oAXoECA0QAw&biw=1366&bih=625#imgrc=6K0gso3zjwvL5M
134
https://www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=http%3A%2F%2Ftravelsmaps.com%2Fistanbul-turkey-istanbul-turkey-map-
map-istanbul-
turkey.html&psig=AOvVaw066K8ZYCOF4Qb6tSaqald0&ust=1599987371868000&source=images&cd= vfe&ve
d=0CAIQjRxqFwoTCJiTldCf4-sCFQAAAAAdAAAAABBM
https://www.witsjusticeproject.co.za/uploads/kgosi-mampuru.jpg
Reviews and Email Messages:
https://www.litnet.co.za/donker-web-deur-fanie-viljoen-n-resensie/?
fbclid=IwAR2LQ4WeVDPnh1UOhb7jKSAyqHFD6vPbWBDyjKFTBLIfqPVG
HTPRw8Pkdyw
• Fanie Viljoen
• Dr. FJ Labuschagne
135

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Machine Translated by Google

Reading guide written by Hettie van Zyl

6.3.2 External conflict

1. Contextual questions per chapter 2. 53-75

2. The background of Dark Web

3. Biography of the author: Fanie Viljoen

4. Introduction to the study of Dark Web

Structure of Dark Web

The advantages of the first person narrator are:

• It makes the story believable.

5. Summary of Dark Web

Dark Web in a Nutshell

Greg Owen begins his studies in Sports Science at the University of

Summary per chapter

Prologue (Johannesburg – years ago)

• Strange visitors show up at the Gericke residence.

• Brief references to the conclusion of the previous novel, Underworld.

Chapter 2 (On the way to Stellenbosch)

Chapter 3 (Beaufort West guest house)

• A woman at the guesthouse recognizes Greg.

Chapter 4 (Student life in Matieland; O-week for first years; Windows)

• First week of student life.

Chapter 5 (Stellenbosch University's campus and street scene)

• Greg tries to set up a profile of the Baker.

• Greg calls Dr. Trollip's wife.

Chapter 9 (Stellenbosch – Workout Café/gym)

• He gets to know Dain February, one of his classmates, better.

• A package with a letter and a burned book arrives at Greg's apartment

• On the last page is written "Valkyrie".

Chapter 11 (Stellenbosch / Johannesburg)

• Greg finds out what Valkyrie means.

Chapter 12 (Sandhurst Nursing Home and Kgosi Mampuru II Prison, Pretoria)

• He sees Doc Pienaar in the visitors' booth.

Chapter 13 (Sandhurst Parent's Home and Stellenbosch)

Chapter 14 (Clifton, Lawson residence and Stellenbosch)

• Greg attends the dinner at Thomas Lawson's house. • He

Chapter 15 (Stellenbosch, De Warenmarkt)

Chapter 16 (Stellenbosch, NG Mother Church)

Chapter 17 (Stellenbosch, wooden bridge over the Eerste River)

• Greg searches for clues in the burned book. • Lisa,

Chapter 19 (Stellenbosch, Botanical Garden)

Chapter 20 (Stellenbosch: Wilgenhof residence and the information center in

• Greg tells Plank that he saw Xander.

Chapter 21 (Stellenbosch, Dirk Schutte's house)

• Greg denies sending him the video.

• In the second package is a transponder.

Chapter 27 (Stellenbosch / Cape Town Airport)

• Greg sends the manipulated photo to Xander.

Chapter 28 (Cape Town Airport / Istanbul, Turkey)

Chapter 29 (Turkey, Istanbul, Basilica Cistern)

Chapter 30 (Turkey, Istanbul, Basilica Cistern)

• Xander refuses to listen to Greg and wants no deal with him

Chapter 31 (Turkey, Istanbul, Street Scene and Hotel)

Chapter 32 (Turkey, Istanbul, Balat District – Xander's Residence)

• Xander shows Greg and Plank their rooms.

• They meet Ayla, a beautiful Turkish girl.

Chapter 33 (Istanbul, Xander's residence)

• Greg tells Xander what he found out about the Baker.

Chapter 34 (Istanbul, Xander's Residence, Dark Web Cyberspace)

• Xander explains to Greg how the dark web works.

Chapter 35 (Istanbul, Xander's residence)

Chapter 36 (Istanbul, Xander's residence)

Chapter 37 (Istanbul, Xander's residence)