| |
|---|---|
| Kitty Jones | |
| Biographical Information | |
| Also known as |
Clara Bell, Lizzie Temple |
| Occupation |
|
| Family members |
Mrs. Iris Jones (mother) |
| Resilience |
Invincibility to magic |
| Physical Description | |
| Gender |
Female |
| Hair color |
Gray, formerly black |
| Behind the scenes | |
| Appearances | |
Kathleen "Kitty" Jones is a commoner with a fairly powerful resilience to magic. She was a member of the Resistance. She is 2 years older than Nathaniel
| Spoilers! |
|---|
| She was one of two humans to have entered the Other Place. The other being Ptolemy. |
Appearances Summary[]
She was a minor character in The Amulet of Samarkand where the awareness of the Resistance was rising. She was 14 year old but not mentioned.
She became a major character in The Golem's Eye which told her past and showed her current exploits with the Resistance. She was 16 years old.
She was a major character in Ptolemy's Gate where her research and quest for the peace between humans and spirits were told. She was 19.
Story Arc (chronological order)[]
Book 2: Past[]
Kitty had multiple negative experiences of the magicians' rule at an early age, which, though she was taught by her parents and teachers to look up to and respect magicians, caused her to become disillusioned with the status quo.
- She was 10 when her mother was fired by magicians who disliked commoners as employees.
- Hyrnek and Sons, a printing press run by her childhood friend, Jakob Hyrnek's, family was being paid poorly by magicians.
- Kitty was 13 when a magician nearly killed Jakob and caused his scars. She and Jakob were playing when their cricket ball caused Julius Tallow, a magician, to crash his car. He ordered his demon to throw a Black Tumbler on the two children. Kitty was unscathed (as she discovers of her resilience). But Jakob was permanently scarred.
- Kitty lost to Tallow at court easily when she put up a case against the magician. Everyone advised Kitty to pull off the case as they - her parents and even Jakob's - knew that the magician would win.
When Kitty lost the case and was asked to pay a high fee she could not pay, she was then approached by an older man who offered help to pay if they meet. They met, he revealed his name - Terence Pennyfeather - and his background. He lost to magicians as Kitty did. He paid Kitty the fee as agreed before Kitty was even convinced to join his resistance. He explained the resilience to Kitty. After much info from Pennyfeather, Kitty joined Pennyfeather's resistance.
Book 1: Resistance, early exploits[]
Kitty was about 14 (not mentioned) when she first appeared. She was one of the mysterious gang of youths who spotted Bartimaeus in Ptolemy's guise as the djinn was fleeing from Lovelace.
Later on, Nathaniel was tricked by two boys and they took his Scrying Glass. Nathaniel followed them, trying to take his glass back. They attacked him and wanted to kill him but Kitty ordered them to stop.
Book 2: Resistance[]
Kitty was 16. The Resistance was becoming successful with the help of a "benefactor". Kitty's missions were usually theft of magical objects with the hopes of using the objects against magicians. As the book continues, Kitty became doubtful about the Resistance as they burn and destroy just as much as the magicians do. Needless to say, when the Resistance leader (Mr. Pennyfeather) said that they were going to steal a few important items from Gladstone's tomb, Kitty agreed to help.
The Resistance was surprised to learn that one of the protections in Gladstone's tomb was an afrit, Honorius, contained in Gladstone's dead body. Their resilience could not stop the afrit's physical attacks. Only Kitty and Nicholas Drew escaped. Kitty had taken with her an unknown staff to her - Gladstone's Staff.
Kitty hoped to have solace in her parent's home but they betrayed her by calling on Mandrake, who visited before after learning Kitty's name. She punched the boy and ran away.
Mandrake kidnapped Jakob Hyrnak to lure Kitty. She returns his Scrying Glass. The night police appeared and chaos ensued. Mandrake had Bartimaeus taken Kitty to the abandoned house where Mandrake and Bart had hidden in book 1. Kitty and Bartimaeus conversed in which the girl learned about the recurring fights between commoners and magicians throughout history.
Later when Nathaniel, Kitty, Jakob and Bart were together, the Golem appeared and went for Nathaniel, who had Gladstone's Staff. Honorius, who was going after Kitty, jumped in and fought the Golem. Honorius was killed (or committed suicide). Kitty nearly ran away when Mandrake, trying to use Gladstone's Staff, was knocked out had Bartimaeus not helped convinced her to save the boy. Kitty stopped the Golem with Bartimaeus' guidance. When Mandrake woke, Bartimaeus told him that Kitty died saving the unconscious boy.
Book 3:[]
In Hiding[]
Kitty was now 19 and she was in hiding from the government, who thought her dead thanks to Bartimaeus. She lived among the commoners under two different false names, Clara Bell and Lizzie Temple. As Clara Bell, she worked at a bar where commoners hold secret meetings. As Lizzie Temple, she worked as an assistant to the magician Harold Button where she secretly trained in the art of summoning. Kitty delved into the history of magic; and researched Bartimaeus and the connection with his usual form Ptolemy.
Later, there was a commoners meeting of political activists at her place of work, she joined as Clara Bell. In there was a familiar face whom she'd last scene in Gladstone's Tomb - there was Nicholas Drew. Later, a demon sneaked in the meeting and indiscriminately killed someone - the barman Sam. Kitty had to destroy the demon but in doing so, she revealed herself to Nicholas Drew.
Reunion[]
Quentin Makepeace, in an effort to recruit, called on John Mandrake to demonstrate his magical experiments on a commoner and political activist named Nicholas Drew. Nicholas betrayed Kitty Jones by offering her name, a resistance fighter, to the two magicians. Nathaniel set off to summon Bartimaeus, hoping to speak with the djinni about the "dead" girl. Nathaniel could not summon Bartimaeus for, at that time, the djinni was summoned by Kitty.
Bart was angry at Kitty who learned to enslave a spirit. Magicians like "Nathaniel" were born to enslave but Kitty was not and yet she summoned Bart. Kitty asked who "Nathaniel" was but Bartimaeus dismissed mentioning the name. Kitty explained herself - she was hoping to understand the struggle between spirits, magicians, and commoners; and to finally find how to end the recurring conflicts. She hoped and asked Bart for help but the djinni scoffs.
She brought up Ptolemy. Ptolemy and Bartimaues's bond is an example that humans and spirits could have a good relationship. Bartimaeus told her a bit about his servitude with Ptolemy, and that Ptolemy himself was special among humans. After constant refusal, mockery, and taunting, Bartimaeus was dismissed. All her years of research and preparation just so she could ask and have help from Bartimaeus was for nothing.
One night at the bar, Nathaniel entered and asked the barman for "Clara Bell". After threats were made, Kitty revealed herself. They went out. The two bickered about their previous deeds and their current paths. Nathaniel expressed his intention of only wanting to confirm that Kitty is alive. He asked her why she saved him, she said she does not know. He thanks her but Kitty replies she does not want it. And if there's anyone to thank, it is Bartimaeus - the one who urged her to save Nathaniel and told her how to defeat the Golem. They made comments on how peculiar of a demon Bartimaeus is - why Bartimaeus helped save Nathaniel and why Bartimaeus said that Kitty had died.
A magical orb appeared (like a screen) and showed Makepeace within the theater. He pressed Mandrake to quickly go at the theater as planned for the night and suggested that Mandrake should bring his girlfriend. The two youths, wanting to continue their conversation later, went together at the play.
Makepeace Conspiracy[]
At the play, the attendees were quickly captured or killed. Kitty and Nathaniel would notice the event too late. The two tried to fight but failed. Kitty tried to save Nathaniel yet again. Both were captured. They captured people were taken to the Westminster Palace.
Nathaniel was kept alive by Makepeace who wanted the youth to join. Kitty was being kept alive because Nathaniel had asked for it. Makepeace and co. summoned spirits to themselves. Kitty and Nathaniel betrayed Makepeace's trust by summoning Nathaniel's spirits. Only Bartimaeus, now so weak that he looked like a small fish, was alive. Before Makepeace can kill the two, the Spirit Revolt happened.
Spirit Revolt[]
Bartimaeus asked lord Nouda to spare Kitty and Nathaniel. Bart hinted to Kitty about the "gesture" before being dismissed. The two youths were taken away again and left alone for a while. Kitty explained to Nathaniel that she summoned Bart, that about Ptolemy, and that she would do what Ptolemy did. She asked Nathaniel to translate the Greek Apocrypha for her. She encouraged Nathaniel to take action. He planned to take Gladstone's Staff and the Amulet of Samarkand below the Westminster Palace.
As the magician was called to present himself in front of Nouda, he told Kitty to call him by his name of Nathaniel. Kitty was held hostage by Verroq to prevent Nathaniel from further rebellion. Jessica Whitwell's attempted escape brought confusion among the spirits; which gave the two youths the chance to execute their plans.
Kitty ran to a room with pentacles and traveled to the Other Place, as a gesture to gain Bart's trust and help. Bart showed what happened to Ptolemy and Bart's peers. Bart agreed to come back and team-up with Nathaniel. Kitty was surprised to learn of the toll of crossing to the Other Place. As demons don't belong in our world, humans also don't belong in theirs. Bart dismissed, in the magic sense, her and she returned to our word.
Kitty woke up weakened. Nathaniel, already in the room, helped her up. Kitty's hair had gone grey, her skin wrinkled. Her body has gone somewhat old (about 50 years, although the books does not tell if she would recover and how much could she recover). She had on the other hand become surrounded by a bright glow, that could be seen in a higher plane, as a result from entering the Other Place.
She insisted Nathaniel to take in Bartimaeus. Nathaniel handed the Amulet of Samarkand to Kitty to give the girl protection and that the amulet would only suck the power of Gladstone's Staff if Nathaniel wore the necklace. As Bartimaeus+Nathaniel followed the rampaging spirits to kill them, Kitty headed down to free the remaining magicians who are trapped. She lead the band of low-level magicians to act against the revolt. She followed Nathaniel+Bartimaeus at the glass palace in St. James Park to save the remaining people.
In the fight with Nouda, the duo of Nathaniel and Bart urged Kitty to leave the place. She refused for some time until the duo promised her that they'd follow her and meet her outside. She was running out when an explosion occurred behind her leveling the glass palace.
Book 3: Ending[]
Two days after the Spirit Revolt, her part in the talks for establishing a new, and probably more benevolent, government in the absence of most of the magicians, was not told but implied that there were. She also suggested Harold Button to be a member of the Interim Council for he had a "wider" view of the world. She refused the offer to work in the government for she had not the energy to do so (caused by her travel in the other place).
She visited St. James Park, where Nathaniel had died in the glass palace. She only said, "So much for your promises" before leaving.
Later in her conversations with Ms. Piper, Mandrake's assistant, Kitty said that Nathaniel had already done what she wanted to do (Piper by this time knew that Nathaniel was Mandrake).
Kitty decided she might set out, after the wars, and travel the world and Egypt which she heard so much about (from Bart), and also to visit her friend Jakob Hyrnek.
Character Arc[]
- "More than one boy had regretted a facetious comment to her face; Kitty did not waste words when a punch would do."
- —A description of a young Kitty in The Golem's Eye.
Kitty had an eye for truth and a sense of injustice about the magicians since she was young. She was still a child and, unlike her parents, hadn't yet learned to fear magicians and accept the current state of society that the magicians hold power. And so when the Tallow affair happened, Kitty's stubbornness and naivete allowed her to fight for the truth against Tallow, a magician, even when the adults around her, including her parents, advised her not to. She put up a case against Tallow but was defeated effortlessly. She had felt first hand the abuse of a magician and of the society itself - the society who held the magicians high.
Shortly when Mr. Pennyfeather and his Resistance had showed Kitty an opportunity to fight the magicians, Kitty's headstrongness and sense of just would make her a rebel - the only way she knew to fight the magician's corruption. She joined the Resistance. After about two years in the group, she was still a rebel but still retains her senses. She noticed her peers becoming more abusive in their acts - becoming like terrorists and becoming like magicians. She would do what she could to restrict her peers from their acts but they had become uncontrollable. But when the leader himself Mr. Pnnyfeather had wanted to take the team to an audacious task of robbing Gladstone's tomb, Kitty had to cave in. Their mission ended the Resistance.
Right after the Resistance, she needed her parents for support and yet they betrayed her when they allowed Mandrake, who earlier learned Kitty's name, to capture their daughter. From then on, she was completely alone and she lived by herself.
Kitty's senses extended to open-mindedness. She, against her hate towards magicians, decided to save the young John Mandrake. Her decision was aided by Bartimaeus but she was the one who chose to do so. She, a human, gave herself a chance to listen to Bartimaeus's insights, a "demon" always to be feared and disdained, about the long on-going struggles between humans and spirits. She saw another side of her society's problem - that "demons" were also slaves for over 5000 years.
Kitty's fight did not end with the Resistance. The magicians ruling the commoners were only a part of a bigger problem - that spirits were also enslaved by magicians and the spirits were used to subdue commoners. In order to somehow determine how to bridge peace between humans and spirits, Kitty studied and researched about magic. She became somewhat a scholar in contrast to her soldier-like actions during her time in the resistance. She studied magic without intents driven by personal ambition but with intents driven only by the possibility of peace, as she thought to have been the end-goal of the Resistance.
Always a fighter, she took a stand against the Spirit Revolt and persuaded Nathaniel to do so too. She made the "gesture" of going to the Other Place to gain a spirit's trust. She was the first one to do so 2000+ years after Ptolemy. She, Nathaniel, and Bart would prove, Ptolemy's research, and that love and peace could exist between humans and spirits.
Criminal Record[]
- Accessory to theft - In "The Amulet of Samarkand" she and her friends Stanley and Frederick steal Nathaniel's scrying glass.
- Destruction of Property - In "The Golem's Eye" it is revealed she and Jacob Hyrnek accidentally break Julius Tallow's windshield.