Emilia Cabot

****E******milia Cabot** is the daughter of Alexander Cabot. She is a Commorancy Kid and a valuable member of the Thief Knot, extremely knowledgeable about Marymead and possessing incredible amounts of sneakery.

## Biography

### *The Thief Knot*

Lucky told Marzana that there was a game group that met at Surroyal Books, including a girl who might be in her grade at Marymead, and Marzana recognized her name to be Emilia Cabot. After finding out about Mr. Otterwill, Marzana deemed that she and Nialla needed an inside man, a Commorancy Kid, to help them get into the substitute's file, and chose Emilia, knowing that she played strategy games.

Marzana joined the game group, despite how afraid she was, and was introduced to Lily, Maria, and Jeffrey. Emilia and her brother Alex arrived soon afterward, and Emilia introduced herself and her brother to Marzana. They played The Sneaksby Gambit for a while, which Emilia was crazy good at. Then the others went for snacks and left Marzana and Emilia alone. Marzana told Emilia that she and Nialla were investigating a kidnapping and wanted Emilia's help, since she was in the Commorancy and played strategy games. They agreed to meet in the sixth-floor common room to tell her more.

Marzana, Nialla, and Emilia met up after lunch, and she showed them the Commorancy floors, admitting that they were not the Gryffindor common room and there was no Owlery. The common room was private and empty, and Emilia explained that she'd asked to have it for that period. Marzana and Nialla explained about the kidnapping and why Mr. Otterwill was suspicious, and Emilia paid close attention and caught on quickly. Emilia told them that she could indeed crack into the records, and Nialla declared her a hero and shared the cookies. Marzana mentioned that they planned to meet J.J. at Surroyal Books, who, Nialla said, was a magician, and Emilia agreed to come meet him, planning to meet Marzana and Nialla in the trustees' hall, to Marzana's confusion.

Emilia met them where she'd said, and quickly led them out into the courtyard, picked the lock on the shed, and let them inside. Emilia then led Marzana and Nialla through a trapdoor in the shed and down through a tunnel, and when they emerged she brought them to Boneash and Sodalime's Glass Museum and Radioactive Teashop. It was a real museum, Emilia said, and she showed them how the tea set out was always right for the number of people there. Emilia did not understand how Marzana and Nialla were bored in the Liberty. Nialla insisted that she'd had to be shown the museum, but Emilia explained that she would have found something amazing anyhow, because she went looking for adventure and she explored. Marzana grabbed her a scone from the tea table, and she took it with a smile.

Emilia led them the rest of the way to Surroyal Books, and Nialla introduced her to J.J., who had also brought Ciro del Olmo, at whose name Emilia sat up straighter. Emilia could not talk about her parents, but listened to Ciro tell about his, seeming to know about his mother's phones. Marzana, Nialla, and Emilia then voted on whether to include the boys. Emilia voted to let them in so long as they did not take over because they were boys, and agreed to nominate Marzana the group's leader. Marzana then explained what they had learned so far and what they planned to do to the boys while Emilia kept watch. The group then adjourned.

The next day, they did not see Emilia. The day after that, they met her by the lockers, and Meddy, a ghost, was introduced to Emilia, who commented that she was 'not from Marymead'. Emilia noted that she had spend the whole night doing things and then faked sick, inviting them to come up. Since they were short on time, Emilia held off on the questions and led them to the dumbwaiters. Emilia told them to climb in, saying that they would support all of them, and they rode a dumbwaiter to Miss Palkowick's office. Emilia showed them Mr. Otterwill's file; he had run the comics club, and he had been recommended for the substitute position by Victor Cormorant, whose name Emilia recognized. Meddy then reported that Miss Palkowick was coming, and they returned to the dumbwaiter. Emilia hit the button and recited a rhyme and hit the button again at certain intervals, explaining that timing was important. Marzana and Nialla then found themselves in Mr. Topham's room, their first period class. Emilia explained that in the Commorancy they theorized that the old iron moved rooms around to make the dumbwaiters work, with an air of you-won't-believe-me-but-I-don't-care. However, due to Meddy's odd reaction to the dumbwaiter, Marzana and Nialla did believe her.

Emilia and Marzana both went to the library. Emilia looked at a book about the Cotgrave and Cormorant lineages, looking for information about Victor Cormorant, and watched as Marzana looked at a book about birds, looking for information about the Snakebird. Emilia then, looking at the Snakebird entry, realized why she'd known the name Victor Cormorant. However, since Marzana and Nialla had to be upstairs early to ask Mr. Otterwill questions, she sent Marzana along, and put the book back. Marzana wondered, since Emilia had pointed to "snakebird" on the page and not "cormorant", then she'd somehow known something secret that "snakebird" had reminded her of. Marzana supposed that the Snakebird was an intelligence expert, and when she met up with Emilia, she confirmed this; Victor Cormorant was a carrier. Marzana told what she'd found out, in addition: Victor Cormorant was Mr. Otterwill's great-uncle. Marzana admitted that she'd just asked, and Emilia, knowing that this was a big deal, praised Marzana.

Marzana, Nialla, Emilia, and Meddy met up again that afternoon and made their way to Surroyal Books. On the way, they discussed what had happened that day. Meddy had found out that something was fishy about the absence of Mrs. Agravin, the math teacher, and had found Emilia, who had somehow gotten Mrs. Agravin's address without being caught by Miss Palkowick. After Meddy disappeared on J.J., he was so shocked that he grabbed Emilia, who patted his head, then steered him to a chair. Emilia was impressed when Meddy revealed that she was actually the daughter of Doc Holystone. Marzana then mentioned Emilia having gotten into Mr. Otterwill's file, and J.J. and Ciro were quite impressed. Emilia shared the other thing she'd found out: the powerful carrier in Gammerbund called the Snakebird was actually Victor Cormorant. They discussed the suspects, Emilia noting how well a carrier would have fit into the scheme.

Ciro shared the information he'd found out about the Belowground stations from his grandfather's notes. He listed the names of different stations, trying to see if the others recognized them, as he wanted to know which were in the Liberty. When Ciro mentioned Horneblende Park, Emilia all of a sudden began to quietly cry. J.J. and Nialla tried to comfort her, Ciro remembered that Horneblende Park was a cemetery, and Meddy realized that Emilia was the daughter of Alexander Cabot. Emilia confirmed this, and Meddy told Marzana, who did not know who Alexander Cabot was, that he had saved Marzana's mother's life. Emilia said that she had known who Marzana's mother was, which greatly upset Marzana; her parents never told her anything like that. Meddy and Emilia said that they would trade everything they knew to have their parents back, but Marzana was upset because if hers died she would not know anything, and also wished Emilia had told her about the connection between them. Emilia suggested that Marzana tell them that, since, she said, Marzana could.

Emilia then started flipping through the maps again, pretending that it had not happened. She marked where Horneblende Park was, since she knew. Ciro explained the logic to the placement of the stations: avoiding the iron, and Marzana mentioned what Emilia had said about the dumbwaiters, and Emilia seemed to forgive her. Nialla then found a blueprint marked Cotgrave Wall, and Emilia, shocked, shared the location of that station: the Marymead library. They then discussed the possibility of Peony (the kidnapped girl) having left a message in the ransom note. Some of the group planned to go check on Mrs. Agravin, but Emilia planned to go back to Marymead and look for the Belowground station, feeling it was important. Emilia then departed. While on the way to Mrs. Agravin's house, Meddy told Marzana about how Alexander Cabot had saved Violet Cross, and Marzana realized that when Emilia had asked why Marzana had picked her, she had meant something about her father. After Marzana's mother found out what had been going on, Marzana noted that Emilia was in the Thief Knot (the name Marzana had picked for the group), and her contributions.

Nialla had called Emilia but Emilia had not picked up. Emilia did not arrive to the meeting of the Thief Knot on Saturday, though Marzana was quite worried, sure that Emilia, if anyone, could take care of herself. Ciro called Emilia, who answered, and reported that she was at Marymead and had found the station, which she said that the rest of the Knot should see. Marzana then realized something, and explained the clues to the Knot: the kidnapping was not over. Emilia did not understand, and even after the rest realized, she did not know, and Marzana explained that the girl they had rescued had not been Peony Hyde. Emilia joined the Thief Knot in speculating about what was really going on.

Emilia insisted that the Thief Knot should come to the station. She promised to get things ready for them to arrive, then went to take a nap. Emilia met them as they arrived to Marymead, and Emilia led them past all the Commorancy sentries posted to keep the Knot from being spotted. Barnaby and Enza congratulated Emilia for her find of the station, and Emilia prepared the "canary" (a sixth-grade sentry who signaled that it was safe by singing) for his duty. On their way to the station, Marzana spied the portrait of Tasha Cormorant, Victor Cormorant's granddaughter, and together she and Emilia discussed how Tasha could have made everything, including the manipulation of the Snakebird, happen.

Emilia had, she said, something else to tell them. She led them into the station, explaining that she'd packed for the adventure instead of napping. Emilia showed the group Cotgrave Wall Station, then had them compare a map of Nagspeake to the map of the Belowground Transit System that was in the station. As they worked to hang them up next to each other, Emilia had the THief Knto speculated about what the real purpose of the kidnapping was. Ciro thought Tasha was supposed to be with the Hydes, J.J. thought Winston Hyde was supposed to stop running for mayor, but Meddy figured out what Emilia had: the Hydes were supposed to leave Nagspeake. Emilia revealed that Peony's house was built above Mergenthaler Street Station, the hub of the Belowground Transit System. They had had to go through the house because of the iron, which made the tunnels inaccessible. Emilia then watched as Ciro del Olmo revealed the hidden message in the ransom note, to Nialla's delight.

Meddy heard a vibration and Marzana realized that the train was coming, because Emilia had accidentally pressed the call button instead of the lights. Marzana introduced the Thief Knot to Brandon Levi, and told him what they knew about the kidnapping. Nialla and Ciro then went to call the adults while Brandon took the rest of the Knot to the station, and Emilia instructed them on how to go out, seeming reluctant, and Nialla promised that they would not break Emilia's "new toy". The Knot then got into the train, and after they'd been going for a while Brandon said that they'd left the Liberty. Emilia was very excited, admitting that she had never left Gammerbund before. Emilia listed the group the supplies that she'd brought, a list that impressed Meddy. The Thief Knot reconvened, then exited the train, having arrived.

Emilia waved her flashlight about and found the shocking arrangements of the old iron. Emilia went to the vending machines as the kidnappers, who were—they had been right—trying to break in from above. Emilia received Meddy's signal to come pick the lock on the locker that the kidnappers were trying to get to, and arrived quickly and quietly, then picked the lock in seconds. However, the kidnappers then arrived, and Emilia was caught by one, who Marzana recognized as Kit Fletchwood. Since Marzana was held hostage by Moth, Emilia agreed to pick the lock again. Emilia pretended to be picking the lock, but didn't really, buying time. The Fletchwoods demanded what was taking her so long, but Emilia told them to do it if they thought it easy. Marzana eventually told Emilia to stop stalling, and she opened the lock.

While the kidnappers were distracted, Emilia attempted to sneak away. Marzana distracted Moth and Kit with the balloon, pretending it was their father's ghost, and Emilia signaled to Marzana that J.J. was busy, and after J.J. completed the message about Peony and Moth and Kit began to give up holding the hostages, Emilia ran away, jumping over Kit. Brandon told Emilia and Marzana to go and call the police, and they went to the stairs, but someone was already coming down. It was Marzana's parents, Emmett, and Thad. Mrs. Hakelbarend told J.J. and Emilia to stay put, but they didn't. After Moth and Kit were marched away, Emilia helped Marzana finish the scavenger hunt, easily picking the locks on each one.

Mrs. Hakelbarend answered Emilia's question about Tasha Cormorant. Emilia then said that her father would never have done something like that, and Mrs. Hakelbarend reassured Emilia that Alexander Cabot was good. After they returned to the train, the Knot speculated about the balloon, Emilia wondering if it had been a ghost, since J.J. and Meddy had not controlled it at the end. The train then returned to Cotgrave Wall Station, where Nialla and Ciro loudly greeted them, reassuring Emilia that the secret was still save. Emilia then led the whole group out of Marymead a secret way, to go have a celebratory dinner at Marzana's house.

## Physical appearance

Emilia wears her blond hair in two braids, which are at one point tied with purple ribbons. She can hear very well. Emilia, like her father, keeps her face totally blank.

## Personality and traits

**Emilia Cabot**: A couple more big pieces of tracing paper. Tape. A flashlight, of course. You said something about working miracles with a spool of thread on that first day, so I packed a spool of thread. Also some thin wire. A lockpick kit. A multi-tool with a knife, screwdriver, and adjustable wrench. My school ID—you can do a lot with a piece of plastic that size—a candle, some matches, a couple markers, couple pencils, some chalk. And the Official Commorancy Key Collection, not that I expect it to be good for squat down here in the real world.

**Meddy**: Good grief. You come prepared.

**Emilia**: If you want to get in and out of rooms without getting stuck in them or setting off alarms, it helps.

— *The Thief Knot*, pg. 394 |  | ”

Emilia is "a shark" at strategy games. Emilia is very sneaky and can get around Marymead without getting in trouble, also knowing a lot of secret routes. Emilia looks for adventure and does not seem to care much that she might get in trouble. Emilia's face and posture barely ever betray emotion. She is very proficient at lockpicking.

## Trivia

* The name Emilia means "rival", "laborious", and "eager".
* Before the kidnapping, Emilia had never left the Liberty of Gammerbund.
* Emilia is excellent at lockpicking.

## Gallery

**Take a look at our **gallery for Emilia Cabot****.

## References

1. ↑ https://www.thebump.com/b/emilia-baby-name
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 *The Thief Knot*