The author commentary continues with the second half of my look at Lincoln’s tale in The Bridge. The Witness plays a huge role in the DSA, and his story starts to come to light here. SPOILER WARNING is in effect.
The Witness
Villains are cool. They are iconic. They take over a narrative like nobody’s business. The Witness has that role to play in the opening season of the DSA. Who is he? What is his goal? There are a dozen questions about this guy, and I wanted that to be the case after The Clearing.
Lincoln’s tale offered a chance to bring more information to light about our enigmatic villain. His unsanctioned mission to take down the Witness comes to a head in The Bridge, but not everything goes as planned.
The Witness sets Lincoln up by bringing him to the one place he never wanted to be again: Des Moines. The choice of location is critical to their interaction because Lincoln’s arrival is what sets off the string of flashbacks culminating in Morrison Engers’ death. It is a psychological move that completely overwhelms an already exhausted Lincoln, which gives the Witness just enough wiggle room to manipulate Lincoln into helping him.
That was the most important aspect of this book, to me. The Witness is in full control from the beginning–heck, from the note left for Lincoln to find in Promethean–and uses it to coerce Lincoln during their entire encounter.
His manipulation was so critical to me. The Witness is still the villain of the piece, but not in a physical manner. He’s the brains to Marcus’ brawn. So when readers get upset at the lack of fighting, I always try to point out the internal conflict Lincoln is forced to endure thanks to the Witness’s words.
That is true power and sets Lincoln off in a new direction.
Why Des Moines?
Two reasons for the city in Iowa.
- I needed a larger city with bridges that ran through it. Big, iconic bridges to carry over the fear Lincoln’s held since he was a child.
- I needed an important primary state. Morrison was running for highest office in the land, making it vital that any visit he made was to a state that isn’t already locked down in terms of elections. Iowa is one of those early caucus states for the primary, making it a must-visit for Morrison.
Lincoln’s choice
I touched on this earlier, but everything has a cost. Lincoln’s questions at the end of Book One set the stage for his betrayal of the DSA by the end of this book. Not that he sees it this way. Metcalf does, of course, but in Lincoln’s mind he is working to save the DSA and everyone else with his decision to join the Witness.
His turn stems from the flashbacks throughout, from his inability to save Marcus in the end, and through the Witness’ keen manipulation of events. I wanted Lincoln to make a conscious decision on his own, but did he really accomplish that?
Probably not.
Then again, do we make our own decisions on a daily basis? Or are we manipulated by those around us, be it our kids, parents, spouses, co-workers, social media, advertisements, and so many other things, to choose the path of least resistance?
That was the conflict of Lincoln’s tale, and what it sets up is the end of his story…
Next up:
Another dark turn, this time with Zac Modine.
