Antonia Forest fans

Goodness, that is fascinating. I had always read Nicola's actions on the Talisman as being successful, much as Titty's are in Swallows and Amazons in winning the day for the Swallows. After all, without Nicola's actions, the children are dead in short order. Nicola formulates a plan, realise that she has to execute the plan with caution, stealth and guile, pushing the tiller over slowly enough that Foley doesn't suspect the course change, and in putting the sugar in the petrol at the last moment, and then in lying about the latter afterwards, something which doesn't come easily to her. Both Nicola and Titty are overlooked by their opponents and the people on their side. I also think that Nicola's actions are very much directed at hindering Foley's plans, in contrast with Peter's wishful thinking about being able to take Foley down with one fell blow, in heroic mode, and possibly as he might imagine Giles or his father would be able to do. Lawrie might be seeing everything in terms of film and narrative, but Peter's also stuck in a very specific narrative, and doesn't have Lawrie's awareness of it either.

I do feel sympathy for Ginty in this; panic attacks are utterly debilitating, and that's what Ginty has here. If all she can do is concentrate on trying to breathe, it's no wonder she can't start evolving plans with Peter to cosh Foley. I also like her rejection of nurturing duty; if Peter's getting hungry why does he automatically expect Ginty to go into Susan mode and read his mind that his question about her being hungry is merely cover for his own hunger, asked with the expectation that she immediately develop telepathy and do something about it?