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Todd and Matthew Lyle Clash

The Knife of Never Letting Go

Todd and Matthew Lyle Clash is an armed confrontation at the village entrance in which Matthew’s hostility toward Prentisstown nearly turns Hildy’s attempt to bring two lost young people to safety into a fight. Todd responds to Matthew’s raised machete by putting himself between Matthew and Viola with a knife, but the encounter shifts when Hildy asserts her authority and Matthew begins to cry. Todd ultimately sheathes his weapon, and the immediate threat recedes without a fight.

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