Rich Lion's Takeover

The subplot of Rich Lion's rise as the leader of a splinter pilgrimage and his manipulation of Harold's story for his own ends.

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The Ex-Financier Joins

The Ex-Financier Joins A Man With A Mission Rich, short for Richard Lion, joins Harold with professional boots, a bush hat and a Swiss Army knife. He has been made redundant and divorced, and wants his sons to see he can do something. The Need For A Hero Rich tells Harold he wants his boys to be proud. His version of the pilgrimage is competitive and goal-oriented, very different from Harold's slow acceptance of the road. The First Tension Rich suggests going cross-country; Kate wants the A61. Harold tries to please everyone. Rich's assertiveness begins to make Harold feel like a passenger in his own walk.

Heroics And Fruit Drink Deals

Heroics And Fruit Drink Deals The Pilgrim T-Shirts Rich arranges sponsorship with a health drink company, providing white PILGRIM T-shirts. He tells Harold to hold the bottle with the label facing the camera. A Story That Grows Newspapers report Harold talked a man down from Clifton Suspension Bridge, although Harold never went to Bristol. Rich says details do not matter; no publicity is bad publicity. The Distortion Begins Harold is uncomfortable but too passive to resist. He drinks the fruit drinks because he cannot throw things away. The pilgrimage is being rebranded without his consent.

The Secret Meeting

The Secret Meeting Rich's Private Vote Rich calls a meeting while Harold is away. He says Harold is slowing down, that his leg is bad, and that Queenie cannot hang on much longer. He proposes a splinter group led by himself. Kate's Objection Kate tells Rich he talks crap, but the whispered conversations in tents continue. Rich chips at a stick with his penknife, sharpening it to a point. The Ethos Of Movement Rich frames the split as helping Harold be free of responsibility. But Harold does not want to be managed. The seeds of betrayal are fully planted.

The Split

The Split An Empty Field When Kate wakes, the pilgrims are gone. Rich has persuaded the gorilla man, the well-wishers and the journalists to leave with him. Only smouldering embers remain. Kate Stays To Say Goodbye Kate finds Harold by a river, throwing stones for the dog. She tells him what Rich did, and then she leaves to try again with her ex-husband. Harold watches her shrink into the trees. The End Of The Crowd The split relieves Harold, but it also wounds him. He removes the pilgrim T-shirt and puts on his old shirt and tie. The story is no longer his alone.

Media Victory On The Quay

Media Victory On The Quay The Wrong Arrival Rich arrives in Berwick with his two sons, a brass band and a gorilla suit. Newspapers print photographs of his handshake with Miss South Devon. He gives an exclusive interview about Harold's fatigue. Queenie Cannot Receive Them The pilgrims deliver flowers to the hospice, but Queenie is unable to see them. The reporter notes that no one from the hospice is available for comment. The Caption That Erases Harold Council workers remove placards that had spelled a welcome, leaving the message WEED WELCOMES HAR. The public story has moved on without Harold, but the real journey is still walking.

After Leeds, mid-June

En route to Darlington, late June

South of Newcastle, late June

Near Newcastle, the morning after the secret meeting

Early July, before Harold reaches Berwick