Alvin Journeyman

Plot summary

Alvin Journeyman is a Maker, someone who can shape a new future for America, but he is constantly hunted by the Unmaker, a destructive force that has tried to end him through whispers and deadly schemes. Now an adult and a journeyman blacksmith, Alvin returns to his family and friends in the isolated town of Vigor Church. There he works at the forge and attempts to teach anyone willing to learn the skill of being a Maker. He has seen a vision of a city he hopes to build, but he understands he cannot construct it alone.

The Unmaker, failing to stop him through magic or war, shifts tactics to more human methods: lies, rumors, and false charges. These accusations drive Alvin from his home back to Hatrack River, where the Unmaker has already arrived. Alvin must now stand trial for his life, with Daniel Webster as his opponent. Meanwhile, Alvin’s brother Calvin has been developing his own abilities, which he believes are as strong as Alvin’s. When Alvin returned to Vigor Church, Calvin had taken over all the jobs Alvin once did.

Resentful of how Alvin treated him while teaching others, Calvin decides to become a Maker on his own terms, using whatever methods he chooses. He sails to the United Kingdom and then to the court of Emperor Napoleon in Paris, where he treats Napoleon’s gout. By easing the emperor’s pain each day, Calvin spends a few hours learning the art of rule. He makes a friend in Paris, leaves with that friend for Américain, and departs, leaving Napoleon completely free from pain.