Tough on thoughts, tough on the causes of thoughts.
Off to London Super comic Con this weekend, come and say hi!
Cast: Catherine Barber, Edmund Barber, Geoff Fenton, Harriet Barber, Henry Barber, Isabelle Holt, Nicola Barber, Nora Fenton, Sidney Malik
Comments (61)
ThoughtBubble
14 Nov 2026 – 15 Nov 2026
Harrogate Convention Centre
Manchester Megacon
31 Jul 2027 – 1 Aug 2027
Manchester Central
That wouldn't happen to be when Wolf and Mal showed up, would it?
Could be. Depends on how long they were in Widdershins (or England) before they were conscripted for buggerup hunting.
Well, according to [this comic](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-23rd-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-23rd-2012/"), they got off at the exact same time as Harry and Sid.
Not only that, we saw Nicola write it in her log book.
Considering that Mal doesn't at-all like Widdershins and has words about it...
[http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-19th-2012-2/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-19th-2012-2/")
Wolfe and Mal were on the train that Harry and Sid took back to Widdershins before Sid released Greed, so the timing works that way.
If Wolfe and Mal are relevant it is probably because Mal is "the one who sees", but I wouldn't want to bet on it being them just yet.
The theory is almost there, but It still gives me a question, Envy, if you go with chronology here, I thought Envy woke up at a different anchor, maybe Omally happened past it too but I somehow doubt that.
Rereading the chapter seems to place Voss at the other anchor around 1831-2 at best. Maybe I just fail at understanding a lot of how these magic rules work.
I think the implication is that it's the time and place the sins broke free rather than where and when they were first summoned that's significant. Envy wanted to go to Widdershins to be freed, even though (given time period and being summoned in Nepal) it would have taken quite some time to get there.
I love how Nicola's such a workaholic that she brought her log book to a family gathering.
She knew ahead of time what they were going to discuss and probably thought her log book might be useful in getting it all figured out.
Or she is just that careful, because that is the previous year's log book: 1833. It's been a year, more or less. The Envy page here is dated March 1834.
I assume she always carries it whenever she is in uniform.
She's not in uniform.....
Or do you mean the uniform she wears on the inside?
Ah, you're right. In fact, she hates these clothes, now that you mention it.
Samuel Vimes reference? :D
....Who? #shelteredchild #eventhoughimanadult
Samuel Vimes is the police officer in Terry Pratchett's Discworld Novels. At first he's an alcoholic and his job is the Night Watch, which means he and three others take a bell and ring it occasionally. However, as the books progress we learn that he is a Copper through and through. He simply can't not be. Even when he's out of uniform he's got the uniform on in his soul.
And now I need to read those again. #mywalkofshamegoestothelibrary #notsobadtbh
Honestly, though, I feel like "the uniform on the inside" is a reference to a comment from earlier in the comic.
Oh no ! Cliffhanger D:
Hmm, the same March 19th two stowaways on the train with Sid and Harry arrived in Widdershins. What a coincidental happenstance.
Is O'Malley actually a witch? Do we know this?
I'm pretty sure people have been speculating it, so maybe! So his arrival maybe somehow set all this off? HMMMM
I don't suppose he is, but the fact that he can see spirits is pretty important, it seems?
Wow... are we actually going to get the whole cast together for this one?! >_<
Hope so! That would be chaotic but quite good fun!
It's part of the power of any given Witch. They work with Magic at levels similar to the one that bound Wrath back and hard that Ben showed Mal how to do.
We know something about Witches- they are wizards with Mal's sensory talents with magic and spirits. As we found out with Wrath's binding- you need those sense to do truly amazing and powerful things with magic.
The date March 19 on the page [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-19th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/march-19th-2012/") refers to the date the strip was posted, not when it occurred. It appears that the dates listed on the pieces of paper are the dates each of the deadly sins were released.
A swell coincidence! However, not what I meant, because the day that Sid released Greed would be roughly the same day Mal and Wolfe got off the train in Widdershins. I wonder if the other dates can be found that way, though?
Wow! Kate, you foreshadowed this Four. Years. Ago. Four. Years. Ago:
[http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/february-29th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/february-29th-2012/")
You clever, clever, clever woman.
I'm sorry but I don't understand. What's the foreshadowing on that page?
The joke about the date when they unbound Greed -- they didn't wait until the very last day, and they lampshaded that.
I knew it! It's all O'Malley's fault!
What did I tell you? It's always his fault.
Oh, sure, blame Mal. EVERYONE always blames him...even though it's always his fault.
Great little details on this page, like Lord Barber still content to let everyone else do the work (or perhaps the poor old codger has just dozed off) and Captain Barber's log book is the same colour here as when she was writing in it at the start of 'No Rest for the Wicked' - good continuity (see Marvelous TK's link).
Well, it appears to be Izzy's side of the family that the magic of the link(s) {whatever they are} comes from - ask him a question, and he'll answer. Otherwise, let the people who are directly linked to the problem figure out their connections and plans.
Henry doesn't really plan ahead that much. Or so I hear.
March 19 was the date Sid summoned Greed in Widdershins, but Sloth was summoned a few months before case resolution in April. [http://www.widdershinscomic...](http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/august-13th-2012/ "http://www.widdershinscomic.com/wdshn/august-13th-2012/")
And envy was summoned by Voss in 1831, two years before...
Envy was not summoned in Widdershins, but at the Himalayan anchor.
Yes but it's not just about Widdershins anchor, it's about the Deadlies in general. Greed should have been bound and it should not have been possible to summon it, no matter at which anchor... if I understand the rules of the world correctly.
Sid said as much. Once he knew what was going on, the fact that he was able to release in spite of the binding is troubling him. Something rather powerful and ominous is going on...
Yep! And on the paper is the date they went free.
The real question is.... does this mean Barbers traditionally meet their partners when Deadly Sins are busting free?
It's okay Nicola, I hate having thoughts, too.
SCREW SELF-AWARENESS WHAT HAS IT EVER DONE FOR ME?
beat me to it. I really prefer my consciousness to be as blank as possible. Thoughts are so distracting!
Heyyy, January 21st's my birthday!
Happy birthday me, enjoy one of the seven deadly sins.
Something was bothering me about some of the details in this story, if you discount Grandma Isabelle Holt, there are now 7 Barber Women, right? Nicola, Nora, Harriet, Florence, and the 3 youngest, Cassandra, June and Ann... This seems like an important detail, either to do with the sins, or with their counterparts, the virtues... hrm
Considering that a Barber was the source of the virtue summoned in the Gluttony arc...it's possible...very much so.
I got shivers when I saw all the dates and names stuff.
Everything's coming together, and I love it!
Wait. 1792-1833.
A fourty-one year interval. And in that timespan, Henry and Izzie are already great grandparents?
Uh.
Georgian era? People married and had kids younger.
Harriet and Co. could easily be in their twenties, which leaves <21 years for Izzie and Henry to sire, and their children to sire. The third generation is young, it's not hard to imagine them being had when Harriet's generation was in their mid to late teens.
On a re-reading binge, I've realised that Kate changed it to 1782 - much cleaner timeline maths to be had now. If Barberdad was born a year later, and had the kids in his early to mid twenties, they'd be mid to late twenties now, plenty of time for Nora to have a kid June's age.
How old are the various members of the Barber clan (apologies if this has been covered elsewhere)? Having some trouble placing ages even if Henry and Isabelle were married in 1792 (right after Find a Lady) and had the Barber siblings' father 9 months later in 1793 How do they have a great-grandaughter June's age a mere 41 years later?
Wait, I know who it is! The Family meeting! It's a trap!
"...tough on the causes of thoughts"
So you're saying she drinks heavily?
It's a reference to a New Labour election slogan, 'Tough on Crime, Tough on the causes of Crime'
Alternatively, spirits might like music. Especially violin music.