Chapter 9: IT

Summary

Meg rushes forward to her father in his column, but she cannot penetrate its surface, and her father cannot see or hear her. In frustration, she hurls herself at Charles, but he punches her in the stomach. Calvin nearly releases the real Charles by reciting the lines from Shakespeare's The Tempest, which Mrs. Who gave him, but Charles ultimately remains in thrall. Finally, at wit's end, Meg remembers Mrs. Who's spectacles. By putting them over her eyes and throwing herself at the column, she successfully gets through to her father and stands by his side.

Prince Charles in Upton-upon-Severn

Charles_Beigbeder

[The Voisin brothers, French aviation pioneers. Ga...

Mr. Murry is overjoyed at his daughter's arrival, though he cannot see her until he puts on Mrs. Who's spectacles. By wearing the spectacles and carrying Meg in his arms, he is able to escape the column with her. When they emerge, Charles Wallace behaves insolently and obnoxiously toward his father, and Meg assures her father that this is not the real Charles Wallace. Charles tells them that he must take them immediately to IT. Mr. Murry is horrified, and insists that Meg will not be able to survive the encounter. However, they have no choice but to follow the youngest Murry child.

Charles leads them out of the CENTRAL Central Intelligence Building and into a strange, domelike edifice pulsing with a violet glow. Inside, Meg feels a steady pulsing that seems to force the beating of her heart to conform to its rhythm. The building contains nothing but the feel of the pulse and a round central dais containing a revoltingly large living brain. Mr. Murry shouts out to Calvin and Meg that they must not give in to IT's rhythmic control. Meg tries to shout out the Declaration of Independence, the periodic table, and the irrational square roots, but her mind...