The Children of Men

Theo drives up to a fallen trunk in the road, realizing that it is a trap just as Omegas with painted faces surround the car. The Painted Faces are ritual murderers who almost always kill only one person and let the others leave. The Painted Faces dance and chant, lighting torches. Theo exits the car to create a diversion, mimicking the Painted Faces’ dance movements while Rolf and Julian run into the nearby woods. Luke asks the Painted Faces to take him instead of Julian or Rolf, so the Omegas beat Luke to death, set the car on fire, and leave.

Theo wants to bury Luke’s body, but Rolf suddenly asks who the father of Julian’s baby is, and Julian admits that it’s Luke. After Miriam tells Theo that Julian is falling in love with Theo, he and Julian talk. Theo is relieved that the child is not Rolf’s. Julian admits she did not love Luke or Rolf, but used Luke to get back at Rolf for not loving her the way she wanted to be loved.

Rolf is furious. He rubs his face against a tree until it is bloody and raw. Then they all sleep on the ground together, with Julian pressed against Theo for warmth.

After they bury Luke, Julian gives Theo a prayer book. Theo reads the brief service from Psalms, revealing the biblical reference that explains the novel’s title: “Thou turnest man to destruction: again ye sayest, Come again, ye children of men. For a thousand years in thy sight are but as yesterday: seeing that is past as a watch in the night” (224).

Rolf is gone. Miriam assumes he’s gone to tell Xan about the baby, so he can be rewarded. Theo takes the gun and goes to find a car.

Theo breaks into the home of two elderly people. After telling them that he won’t hurt them, he lets them use the bathroom, and then ties them to their bed to wait until their helper Mrs. Collins arrives the next morning.