Troy's Sabotage

Troy’s sabotage of The grain tower and The long garage turned the conflict with Brall into an opportunity for Troy to manipulate the Family from within. The explosions were not simply damage inflicted on an enemy: Troy later admitted to starting them, welcomed the war they helped provoke, and treated the resulting alignment of forces as a path to power. Robin learned the truth while he held her captive, but the admission also exposed how deliberately he was trying to control what happened next.

Background and Political Stakes

The sabotage took place amid a contest over who could direct the Family and how it would confront Brall’s Cauldron. The Family was not merely a fighting band. Its members raided surrounding territories for land, loot, and people to trade; they took first choice of the proceeds, with favored Kin next and ordinary residents receiving the benefits of protection only if they paid taxes. Control of the Family therefore meant command over force, resources, and Temple’s security.

There was another possible model for that authority. Case proposed a joint rule in which council members would vote and each side would have a veto, building on the council Titus had established among veteran riders and Sandra. Against that background, Troy’s actions stand in contrast to negotiated authority: he secretly escalated violence, then tried to turn the emergency into a numerical advantage. The story does not describe the physical damage at either target in detail, but it identifies the incidents as consequential enough for Troy to expect Case to be angry with Brall.

The Explosions and Troy’s Admission

Troy explained the sabotage to Robin while she was restrained. He framed the conflict as already inevitable, telling her that the Family would be at full war with Brall and the Cauldron. The incidents at The grain tower and The long garage, he said, would make Case angry with Brall. That expectation reveals the immediate political use of the explosions: they could intensify Case’s hostility toward Brall and make cooperation between Case and Troy seem expedient.

When Robin asked whether the explosions had been his doing, Troy avoided a straightforward confession. He insisted that any number of things could or could not have been his work, but his grin and pleasure made the answer clear to her. She remembered that none of Troy’s men had died in the attacks. The account thus presents the sabotage through a revealing imbalance: Robin recognizes the truth from Troy’s reaction, while he enjoys the effects rather than showing guilt or concern about being discovered.

Troy’s Intended Advantage

Troy described the war in terms of numbers. He expected Case to join him, giving their side enough strength to defeat Brall. His plan went beyond winning that fight: after Brall was killed, Troy believed people would not look closely if Case, a strong fighter, also died in the course of the conflict. The sabotage was therefore part of a larger conspiracy, using violence against the Family’s targets to draw Case into a war in which Troy intended to remove both Brall and Case.

Robin understood that the explosions were only one part of Troy’s threat. In the same confrontation, he revealed that he had killed Titus, then mocked Robin’s sympathy for Brall and her ability to expose him. She told Troy that everyone would learn the truth. He responded by having Potter take her arms and lock them behind her in handcuffs. The scene makes the information itself a danger: Robin’s knowledge could undo Troy’s attempted control of the story, so he moved to silence her rather than deny what she had uncovered.

Exposure and Aftermath

Robin’s account eventually reached Abigail. When Robin asked whether Abigail knew Troy had blown up The grain tower and The long garage, Abigail said she did not, but that the revelation did not surprise her; she expected Case to deal with him. Robin could see a different possible outcome: if Case worked with Brall, their combined numbers might persuade Troy’s men to surrender. Abigail doubted that Case would accept it, describing him as too stubborn. Their exchange shows that the sabotage had helped narrow the available choices, but had not made a joint response impossible.

By the next morning, the terms of the war had shifted to open battle outside town, with no more sneak attacks or gradual encroachment. Case’s stated plan, discussed with Troy, was to wipe out Brall; Troy welcomed the prospect of a melee. The movement from covert explosions to an announced confrontation gave Troy’s sabotage a wider consequence: it helped create the conditions for a war whose apparent alliance concealed his private intentions. Sandra eventually worked out Troy’s guilt and told Case. By the time Robin and Abigail discussed it, Case knew and was waiting to act, turning the secret Troy had tried to exploit into evidence against him.