Clem Candler

****C******lemence Ottilie Candler,** or **Clem**, is a master thief known for her athletic ability. She came to Greenglass House multiple times.

## Biography

### *Greenglass House*

Clem arrived to Greenglass House by way of the three hundred and ten stairs. Milo was baffled at how she was not so tired, as she sprinted up the snow-slick steps two at a time while wearing a large backpack. She asked Milo if it was Greenglass House, which he confirmed, and they introduced themselves to each other. Clem went inside (where Mrs. Hereward and Dr. Gowervine were shrieking at each other), introduced herself to Mr. Pine and said that she did not know how long she planned to stay. Clem asked to have a room on the fifth floor so that she could have exercise inside.

Clem later wrapped up her ankles in tape. She later confirmed that she had not seen anyone leave, then went up to bed. When Georgie mentioned thievery, Clem joked about being a cat burglar. When Milo asked about Georgie's camera, the Lansdegown, Clem asked about the camera's name, and both she and Georgie seemed to behaving oddly.

After Mrs. Hereward told her story, Clem asked to hear a story about Greenglass House. Mrs. Pine proceeded to tell the story of when Fenster Plum saw the ghost of Doc Holystone, and at the end Clem presumed that Michael Whitcher was Doc Holystone, and the house had belonged to him. After the tale, Clem asked Milo what 'Lansdegown' meant, seeming to think he knew, but he didn't. Milo suggested that she tell him what she knew so that maybe he could remember, but Georgie came down the stairs and Clem returned to her cake. Milo realized that Clem and Georgie knew each other.

In the morning, three guests were stolen from, and Clem was not among them. Mrs. Hereward seemed to suspect her, but Clem did not seem bothered by the accusation. Clem told Milo how confused she was about the thefts, because Georgie's notebook had been taken. Clem explained that the only person who would have had a use for the notebook was Clem herself, but said she had not taken it.

Milo heard Clem and Georgie whispering in the hallway. Georgie wanted Clem to help her find the notebook, knowing that Clem had not taken it and offering Clem some of what it contained in exchange. Clem had, however, already seen the notebook, and Georgie, resignedly, eventually agreed to let Clem see the picture she had taken with the camera instead. Clem provided Georgie with a sweater to borrow that did not smell strongly of perfume. Milo later realized, from Clem's mention of moonlighters, that she and Georgie were both thieves.

Mrs. Hereward accused Dr. Gowervine or Clem of being the thief. Clem did not seem to take offense, however. When Georgie's notebook was returned, she looked at Clem as if thinking maybe Clem had done it, but Clem shook her head. After Milo told how he'd found the things, she clapped. When Owen arrived, Clem was shocked. Owen called her Ottilie, upsetting Georgie. Clem helped the hypothermic Owen, then went upstairs.

Georgie told a story of two famous thieves, the Otter and the Eye, who fell in love with the same girl. Both thieves began to work to steal the girl's heart, through information. This put the Eye at an advantage (information was his forte), but he knew that the Otter would be trying hard to steal whatever he found. The Eye figured out many important things, but did not write anything down because the Otter woud find it, and the Eye had only a map as a physical clue. The Eye created a decoy map, and one day the Otter took it, seamlessly. The Eye then left for the house while the Otter was occupied with the decoy map, but he'd made a mistake: there was a watermark on the map, and the Otter followed it to the house, and arrived soon after the Eye. Both searched for the house's secret while pretending not to know each other. But then, the girl showed up at the house because she'd known the Otter was there, and she had fallen in love with the Otter without the Otter having to do anything. Milo knew that the story had been about Clem, Georgie, and Owen.

In the morning, Clem and Owen sat next to each other, and appeared extremely happy to do so. After finding out that Georgie had convinced Mrs. Hereward to tell Owen about his heritage, Clem began to cry and, baffled, thanked Georgie profusely. Clem arrived to Milo's room and gave him a present wrapped in blue snowflake paper. Before opening the gift, Milo asked how Clem had known the gate watermark meant Greenglass House, and she told him how she'd found out about it. Clem then urged Milo to open his present, and found a lockpick kit. Clem said that perhaps she would teach him how to use it.

Clem and Owen spent a lot of time together that day, and were very happy together. When Clem found out that Mr. Vinge had found Greenglass House through the gate watermark as well, Clem's face went pale. Milo later ran for the Emporium, away from Mr. Vinge's thugs. Mr. Vinge ordered his thugs to stop Milo, but Clem, in an incredible acrobatic feat, took out one of them. Owen tackled the other thug, preventing him from grabbing Clem.

Clem and Owen later paid their bill and prepared to leave, headed toward Owen's home in the Quayside Harbors. Clem told Milo that she would come back later, and would perhaps show Milo how to use his lockpicks. Clem and Owen then descended Whilforber Hill on the *Whilforber Whirlwind.*

### *Ghosts of Greenglass House*

Brandon Levi brought Clem and Georgie to Greenglass House via the Belowground Transit System. Clem was delighted to see Milo, hugging him. Georgie admitted that she and Clem were 'on the lam', explaining their planned cover-up of Clem's bachelorette weekend. Clem and Owen were getting married, but Georgie worried she had broken it, though Clem assured her that she hadn't. Georgie deemed that they would not use aliases, and they went inside. Clem suggested they go to the fifth floor, but said she would not feel like running. They chose rooms on the fourth floor after Emmett interrupted, and Milo told them everything he knew about Emmett. Clem seemed sad, which felt very wrong to Milo. Milo asked what had happened, and though Clem and Georgie had not planned to tell the Pines, not wanting to get them in trouble. But Clem pointed out everything Milo had done the previous year, and they decided to consider it. Georgie asked where Meddy was, but Milo did not know.

Clem called Dr. Gowervine to ask about Emmett, but he did not pick up. Clem then called Owen, and told him that they were having a bachelorette weekend, saying nothing of their flight. When she finished, Clem advised Milo not to lie to the people he loved. At dinner, Clem announced that she and Owen were getting married, then listened to Emmett talk about windows. Mrs. Pine toasted Clem and Georgie, who had returned as friends, and seeing Clem's happiness, Georgie was glad too.

Clem and Georgie told about their heist while Emmett was upstairs. They had tried to do a heist together, as a last hurrah for Clem, who was quitting thieving for Owen. However, it had gone wrong, as the thing they had been looking for was not there, they thought a third person they'd had to involve, Gilawfer, was attempting to double-cross them, and they thought another thief, the mysterious master Cantlebone, was also after the thing. Georgie and Clem explained what the big thing they'd been looking for was: the derrotero, the legendary accurate map of the Skidwrack River, created by Violet Cross. Clem said that Georgie's find of the haul was amazing, though Georgie insisted that it had gone wrong, despite Clem saying it was not her fault. Clem planned to give up thieving because she thought it was what Owen wanted, viewing it as giving something up and not a part of herself. The Pines insisted that Clem and Georgie stay, to their delight.

Clem began to teach Milo lockpicking, pretending that Milo had found the picks in his attic and that she knew because her father had run a hardware store. Milo slowly learned to pick the locks as Clem taught him, though he only managed to open two. Clem applauded Milo's successes. In the morning, Clem tried again to call Dr. Gowervine, but he didn't pick up. Mrs. Caraway deemed that Clem and Georgie were doing a bad job pretending to be on a bachelorette weekend. She took Georgie's quarter, and provided them with fancy drinks and beauty masks for their faces. This seemed to relax the two thieves.

The Waits then arrived. Clem sat where she could see most of the floor, Milo sat next to her, and they commented on the group. Clem asked what happened next, and Mr. Hakelbarend explained about the Raw Nights. Clem asked Marzana about the hobby horse, but Marzana did not give a substantial answer. Clem and Lizzie watched, both amused and horrified, as Rob cleaned the chimney. When Mr. Larven collapsed, Clem performed a series of acrobatic feats to kick the punch cup out of Mrs. Pine's hand. Georgie was skeptical of this decision, but Clem referenced Mrs. Kirkegrim and Marzana being hit on the head and deemed that something was going on more than Mr. Larven being drunk.

While outside, Milo mentioned Clem and Georgie to the ghost of Doc Holystone. Upon Meddy's arrival, Milo told her all about the heist. They later went down to see Georgie and Clem, who were glad to see Meddy. Georgie was upset about the news concerning Gilawfer, with Clem insisting that it had not been Georgie's fault. Georgie and Clem were certain that the night's chaotic events had to do with the heist, revealing that the entire haul had been stolen. Georgie admitted that they had searched Emmett's room, and had to leave via the fire escape. Georgie instructed Milo and Meddy to keep her and Clem posted.

Milo found Georgie upstairs. Georgie explained that she and Clem were looking around, and assured him that they wouldn't break into anyone's rooms, to Milo's annoyance, as they already had. Milo wondered where someone would hide things that couldn't be found by Clem and Georgie, and realized that some of them were hidden in Clem and Georgie's rooms themselves. Clem entered and found Milo looking around in Georgie's room, and he explained his idea. Clem seemed angry at herself. Milo, with Meddy's help, discovered the spherical chalkboard in Georgie's room, to the thieves' delight. Georgie, Clem, Milo, and Meddy began to search Georgie's room, and Milo eventually found all of the things that Georgie had had in her room. Georgie and Clem thanked Milo for helping them, and insisted that he go to bed. Meddy offered to carry the things, and although Georgie was skeptical at first, she handed over the things for Meddy to carry. Clem promised to leave a note if she and Georgie found anything, but in the morning, there was none.

Milo went to find Clem and Georgie in the morning. He discovered Georgie searching Mrs. Kirkegrim's room, and rebuked her for doing so. She fetched Clem, and Milo rebuked her, too. Owen then arrived. Georgie burst out of her room and protested that it was all her fault and there was no reason to be mad at Clem, but Clem simply told Georgie not to do that. Clem informed Georgie that she was telling Owen everything, and Georgie and Milo stood sentry for them. Owen, appalled, realized that Clem had thought that he wanted her to quit thieving for good, and assured her this was not what he'd meant. Clem began to cry.

Milo suggested again that the guest tell stories, and Clem suggested that guests who were not telling stories do dishes instead. She kicked Mrs. Caraway out of the kitchen and the guests cleaned up. Owen spoke with Milo about his difficulties at school, asking Clem if he could tell about Leo's dinner party, and Clem told him he couldn't, then said that he could. Owen simply said that Clem had had a 'thoughtless moment'.

When Dr. Gowervine called on the phone, Clem came to listen. However, Dr. Gowervine had phone troubles and was not able to finish what he had to say about Emmett. Milo, knowing that Dr. Gowervine was about to explain how Emmett was not who he said he was, went and confronted Emmett with this information. Milo was able to get Emmett to tell his true identity by explaining that Georgie thought him the thief who had robbed her and Clem. Emmett spoke to Milo about the two thieves, revealing that he was a customs agent. Milo then left Emmett to tell his parents the news, and found Clem and Georgie. Georgie demanded that he tell, and Milo informed her that he was a customs agent there to investigate Mr. Vinge's claims. Milo shared Meddy's suspicions concerning Lucky, and they went downstairs, Clem sitting next to Owen. Georgie emerged from talking with Emmett, and sat next to Clem, who comforted her. She and Georgie then had a lengthy discussion on the screened porch, after which Georgie sat next to Emmett.

During the tale, Mr. Larven stared at Georgie and Mrs. Kirkegrim at Clem, to Milo's puzzlement, and those two were later deemed to be the culprits. Milo called his parents, the Caraways, Clem, and Georgie into the second-floor living room. He explained his plan to tell a Violet Cross story, and at the name Clem and Georgie recoiled. Clem noted that they did not want Milo to get hurt.

When Sylvester discovered the locks hanging on his coat, Clem was sent for. Clem picked each lock, one by one, and removed it from the coat. Clem invited Milo to help, assuring him not to worry if he did not succeed, and Milo came over. Clem instructed him and he opened two as Clem finished the rest. Clem returned Sylvester's coat to him, assuring him that she did not think him the thief. Clem explained how her 'collection' had been stolen, telling Mrs. Kirkegrim what had happened, and offering to not press charges if the last things were returned. Emmett showed his customs ID, and Clem gave Meddy the locks. Clem was appalled when Emmett agreed to let Mrs. Kirkegrim leave, after Meddy's announcement that she was guilty, but Emmett could not hear Meddy. Clem filled Georgie in and searched Mrs. Kirkegrim. When Milo came in from outside, Clem came toward him. Clem later agreed that charges would not be pressed because the things had been returned.

Clem was delighted to find out that Mrs. Kirkegrim was Cantlebone, and in awe. When Milo revealed that Mrs. Kirkegrim was not only Cantlebone, but also Violet Cross, Clem fell out of her chair as she tried to get up. She eagerly demanded explanations, which Mrs. Kirkegrim supplied. They insisted that Mrs. Kirkegrim keep the things, but she let them have them, feeling that Georgie and Clem were good people. They agreed to give Marzana a keepsake. Clem was delighted with the keys, but smiled genuinely when Marzana chose them and agreed to let Marzana keep them. Clem showed Milo how they worked and explained the purpose of a bump key while Owen attempted to open a lock.

The Waits prepared to leave. Mrs. Kirkegrim invited Georgie and Clem to come visit her, to their delight. Clem shared Georgie's comment on Emmett's drawings, and after Emmett left Georgie with his phone number, Clem teased her about calling him. Georgie and Clem messed with the haul and occasionally checked on the severely tied up Rob.

Milo informed them of what the derrotero was and how Mrs. Kirkegrim had snuck it out, and Clem laughed. Clem, Georgie, and Owen gifted Milo the set of locks, to use to practice his lockpicking. Clem promised to send the Pines a wedding invitation. Owen, Clem, and Georgie then left.

### *The Thief Knot*

Emmett mentioned having attended Clem and Owen's wedding, along with the Pines. Brandon gave Clem and Georgie's numbers to Nialla and Ciro, to call if they had trouble finding Marzana's parents and Emmett.

## Personality and traits

Clem is plucky and always seems to know what to say. She is nearly unflappable; when accused of things she does not take it personally. Clem is almost always cheerful, and is incredibly athletic.

## Physical appearance

Clem has short red hair, and will often wear lip gloss and nail polish. She is described as 'youngish'. Clem walks incredibly quietly.

## Relationships

### Owen

Owen is Clem's husband. Clem, along with Georgie, attempted to steal his heart, but before she had found the secret, Owen showed up, and revealed that he was in love with Clem. The two of them were delighted to be around each other. The next year, the two of them prepared to be married, Clem loving him so much that she prepared to give up thieving for him, thinking it was what he wanted. Owen revealed that he did not want that, and Clem presumably continued to be a thief. Clem and Owen were married successfully.

### Georgie Moselle

Clem and Georgie first came to Greenglass House around the same time as each other. Before, they had been racing each other and trying to keep secrets from the other, each attempting to find the secret of Owen's past first. Both Clem and Georgie were master thieves and had fallen in love with Owen, and thus attempting to steal his heart. While at Greenglass House, they at first pretended not to know each other, but were quite interested in the other's movements. They called each other 'Blue' and 'Red', having heard of the other but never met. When Georgie's notebook was stolen, she pleaded Clem for help, offering to share some of her own knowledge. Eventually, Owen arrived, and it became clear, to Georgie's dismay, that Owen was already in love, and not with her. Georgie, knowing the Lansdegown secret, allowed it to be told to Owen even though it did not make Owen like her best. Clem realized that Georgie had given this to her, and thanked Georgie.

Clem and Georgie later returned to Greenglass House as friends. They had completed their first heist together, and it had gone wrong. Clem and Georgie supported each other and were there for each other throughout the whole thing, Georgie feeling that it was her fault and Clem assuring her it was not. They even teased each other, though most of their interactions were more generally supportive.

## Trivia

* The name Clemence means "Mercy".
* The name Ottilie means "prosperous in battle". This could refer to Clem being an excellent thief.

## References

1. ↑ https://babynames.com/name/clemence
2. ↑ https://nameberry.com/babyname/ottilie