All Together Dead Book Seven

All Together Dead Plot summary

The summit, which has attracted undead power players from all over the central United States, is sure to be tense, due in no small part to the ramping up of protests by the conservative, anti-vampire Fellowship of the Sun. Accused of murdering her husband, the King of Arkansas, Sophie-Anne is set to stand trial at the convention. The Queen is already in a precarious position, her power base weakened by the damage to New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina, and there are some vampires who would like to finish what nature started.

Sophie-Anne's main accuser is Jennifer Cater, a vampire who had been training to be the king's lieutenant at the time of his death. Jennifer is determined to see Sophie-Anne staked in the sun for murdering the king, although Sookie knows the Queen is innocent of the crime.

Sophie-Anne plans to put Sookie's gift to good use, having her "listen in" on the thoughts of the humans working for the other vampires at the convention as well as for the hotel, as alliances are formed and allegiances tested in what can only be described as a political power struggle of potentially deadly implications. The story opens with Sookie entering Fangtasia to talk to Eric and those who pay him fealty, as they discuss the accusations against Sophie-Anne. Sookie agrees to work for Sophie-Anne, despite the warnings of her fairy godmother, Claudine, that being at the convention will forever tie Sookie to vampire politics in the mind of all of the attendees, in a very public way. Meanwhile, her relationship with Quinn heats up.

At the convention, Sookie meets Barry "Bellboy" Horowitz, the only other telepath she knows. Soon after they arrive, Jennifer Cater and most of the Arkansas entourage are brutally murdered, which simplifies the trial for the Queen. Sookie soon proves invaluable to the Queen as she makes the great suggestion that the Queen appoint her closest friend and "child," Andre, to be King of Arkansas, and then to marry him. Sookie also finds a bomb planted outside of the Louisiana suite, and saves the Queen.

She also uncovers something shocking about Quinn—as a teen, he killed a group of men who were raping his mother, and then became indebted to some local vampires in order to cover up the crime. He had to work as a weretiger/gladiator in a ring for three years, and in the process became a fearsome fighter.

At the Queen's trial, Sookie saves the queen yet again as, being the only witness, she applies logic to prove that the queen is innocent and that her accusers are being manipulated. In response, one of the main accusers is staked right in the courtroom. Impressed with her usefulness, Andre accosts Sookie and begins to force her to exchange blood with him, to tie her permanently and closely to the queen. She escapes this violation only by the intercession of Eric, who has her exchange more blood with him.

This third, major blood exhange with Eric causes Sookie to become more powerful, and frighteningly vampiric, even though she is still human. She can feel Eric very powerfully, and he now has the power to turn her into a vampire at any time. Sookie realizes with dread that she will never be free of Andre's control.

Sookie and Barry the Bellboy then puts together a number of clues they have had throughout the convention and realize that multiple bombs have been planted throughout the hotel by the Fellowship of the Sun, and they are set to go off during the daytime when the vampires will all be asleep and helpless. She and Barry's quick thinking enable some vampires and some humans to get free, and Barry and Sookie team up to use their telepathy to find injured humans. Sookie finds Andre, who has only minor injuries, and watches impassively as Quinn stakes him in order to free her from his control. Queen Sophie-Anne escapes, but loses her legs. Bill, Eric, and Pam escape with minor injuries, but the death toll for humans and vampires is very high.

Sources: Wikipedia, The Sookie Stackhouse Novels and Raki

All Together Dead
Timeline

Though it would seem from the text that All Together Dead begins around the third
week in September, accurate continuity would have it start earlier—more like the second
week.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2005. Sookie arrives at Fangtasia and is met by a
happy Pam as they join the planning meeting for those who will attend the vampire
summit in Rhodes. The death of the King of Arkansas, Peter Threadgill, and the
destruction of New Orleans by Hurricane Katrina have had a profound financial
effect on the empire of Sophie-Anne Leclerq, Queen of Louisiana. Eric, now one of
the most powerful sheriffs in the state, is hosting the queen’s representative, Andre
Paul, as they plan the trip. Sookie learns that the queen will be facing a criminal suit
filed by the former king’s second-in-command, Jennifer Cater, who alleges that
Sophie-Anne lured Peter to Louisiana to assassinate him. If she is found guilty, the
queen could lose all she has. Bill Compton will be attending to promote the sale of
his database in the hopes of replenishing the coffers of the cash-strapped queen.
Jake Purifoy, the Were who was turned by Hadley, is also at the meeting and will
be attending, much to Sookie’s discomfort.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 11. When she returns from attending a wedding
shower for Halleigh Robinson, Sookie is delighted to find Quinn on her doorstep.
Her understanding roommate, Amelia, leaves them alone, and Sookie and Quinn
discuss their relationship and their need to spend more time together. Quinn tells
her he has taken a month off after the summit and wants to spend it with Sookie in
Bon Temps. That afternoon Sookie receives a call from her brother, Jason, inviting
her to his wedding. He is marrying his shifter girlfriend, Crystal Norris. Sookie is
apprehensive about the marriage, especially as it is taking place that same night.
When Sookie, Quinn, and Amelia arrive at the wedding celebration, Sookie is
surprised at the excited reaction of the shifters to the presence of Quinn. To her
dismay, she discovers that as Jason’s only relative she must vouch for him in the
marriage ceremony, just as Calvin vouches for Crystal. With many reservations,
Sookie witnesses the wedding between the selfish Jason and the wayward,
determined shifter he is marrying.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 12. Quinn leaves in the morning, and Sookie yawns
her way through work after their late night at the wedding and later night together.
Bill’s girlfriend, Selah Pumphrey, comes in for lunch and accosts Sookie, accusing
her of planning the trip to the summit with Bill so that she can get him back.
Sookie’s fairy godmother, Claudine, comes to Sookie’s house that evening to
express her misgivings about Sookie attending the summit.

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 13. In the morning, Sookie shops at Tara’s Togs,
where Eric has arranged a line of credit for her to buy suitable clothing for the trip.
Later, she is surprised when Pam comes into Merlotte’s to challenge her about her
relationship with Eric. As Sookie readies to leave, Arlene expresses her distaste at
Sookie’s choice of company, and Sookie snaps at Arlene and stalks out, crying. Pam
follows Sookie into the parking lot to continue their conversation, and a relieved
Sookie learns that Pam and Eric had not known why the queen sent Bill to Bon
Temps. Pam shares her history with Sookie and tells her how she was turned by
Eric. Sookie is astonished when Pam pleads with her to have mercy on Eric. Pam
believes he has deep feelings for Sookie. Both are startled when he unexpectedly
appears. Eric abruptly dismisses Pam and begins to question Sookie about her
relationship with Quinn. Sookie replies that since Eric had shown no interest in her
over the past few months, she felt free to pursue a relationship with Quinn.
Frustrated, Eric leaves.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 22. Sookie boards the Anubis airplane and is
greeted by the queen’s lawyer, Mr. Cataliades, and his niece, Diantha. He
introduces Sookie to the rude lawyer Johan Glassport, who will represent the queen
in the murder case brought against her. Realizing that Sookie is a witness to the
killing of Peter Threadgill, Glassport begins to question her intensely about the
events of that night. Afterward, Sookie explores the plane and examines the coffins
of the vampire contingent. Mr. Cataliades joins her and begins to brief her on what
to expect at the summit in Rhodes. They arrive at the Pyramid of Gizeh hotel in the
afternoon. Sookie is delighted when she telepathically locates Barry the Bellboy,
who is attending as a member of the King of Texas’s entourage. That evening,
Sookie reports to the queen’s room for instructions. Sophie-Anne is surprised and
pleased when they are interrupted by a visit from Stan Davis, now King of Texas.
As the queen and Stan converse, Barry and Sookie begin a wordless conversation
that catches the attention of their employers. Sookie apologizes and asks if they can
leave, since they are not needed during the visit. Barry and Sookie go to the lobby
to practice combining their gifts to read the thoughts of those in the room. Sookie is
suddenly confronted by a belligerent and threatening Jennifer Cater, who vows to
take down Sophie-Anne and drain Sookie dry.

Quinn arrives and is greeted with delight by Sookie, much to Barry’s dismay.
Barry, who knows Quinn by reputation, pushes him to tell a mystified Sookie about
his past. As they talk, they are joined by one of the most frightening women Sookie
has ever seen. The woman identifies herself as Batanya and tells them she is the
bodyguard hired to protect the King of Kentucky. She begins to complain to Quinn
about the dangerous lack of security at the summit, but Quinn explains that he is
not involved in that aspect of the meeting and tells her whom to see. When she
leaves to return to her employer, Quinn explains that she is a Britlingen, an elite
bodyguard brought at great expense from another dimension. Quinn leaves to set
up an impromptu wedding, and Sookie and Barry are called back to serve their
respective employers.

Sookie waits for the visitors to leave Sophie-Anne’s suite before recounting the
confrontation with Jennifer and the encounter with the Britlingen. The queen
decides to call Jennifer and offers to negotiate with her. Jennifer agrees to see the
queen, and after some dawdling, the party leaves to visit the room of the Arkansas
contingent. Upon arriving at Jennifer’s door, they realize that something is wrong.
A quick reconnoiter shows that Jennifer and her companions have been brutally
murdered. Hotel security is called, and as the queen and her entourage answer
questions, a distraught man suddenly appears and identifies himself as Henrik
Feith, the only survivor of the Arkansas contingent. He escaped the massacre
because he went downstairs to make a complaint to the management. Sophie-Anne
immediately offers the terrified man a place with the Louisiana party, and he leaves
with Sigebert to go to the queen’s suite to rest.

As the queen and her party continue downstairs, Mr. Cataliades recommends
that Sophie-Anne marry immediately to form an alliance. Sookie suggests that the
queen name Andre as King of Arkansas and marry him. Both vampires are pleased
with the idea. They locate the booth in the convention hall where Bill is selling the
database CDs, and Sookie gets to say a nervous hello to Russell Edgington, the
King of Mississippi, who is getting married that evening to the King of Indiana,
Bartlett Crowe. After Russell and Bart exchange vows—and blood—in a ceremony
that Eric conducts, Sookie persuades Jake Purifoy to fill her in on Quinn’s past and
learns he became famous as a pit fighter. Forced to go to the vampires for help
when his mother was brutally attacked and raped, he was contracted to fight for
them for three years and was known as a most ferocious and successful fighter.
Jake also tells her that the event employee who passed out potpourri bags for the
wedding is Quinn’s younger sister, Francine, a result of the rape. Disturbed by the
story, Sookie leaves Jake to return to work for the queen. When Isaiah, the King of
Kentucky, realizes that Sookie can sense his visually camouflaged Britlingens, he
asks Sophie-Anne to dismiss her, so Sookie is sent to retrieve luggage that
apparently belongs to the Louisiana party from down in the loading bay.
As Sookie turns to leave, she is approached by Andre and led into an isolated
service corridor, where he informs her that she needs to be bound more tightly to
either him or Sophie-Anne. He orders her to take his blood. She resists, and he is
about to force her when Eric suddenly appears. Eric reminds Andre that he himself
is pledged to Sophie-Anne and suggests that since he and Sookie already share a
bond, it would be better for her to take his blood. Then he will be able to control her
for Andre and the queen. Realizing that Eric is trying to protect her, Sookie is
nevertheless furious when she is forced into a significant blood exchange with Eric
in front of the watching Andre. Just as it is finished, an infuriated Quinn appears
and demands an explanation. Sookie leaves, devastated, wondering what changes
she will now face in her relationships with both Eric and Quinn. She locates the
errant luggage and is taking it to Sophie-Anne’s room when she notices a soda can
sitting discarded in a planter and decides to throw it away. The can is heavier than
it should be. Sookie looks more closely. She realizes that it is a fake, probably some
sort of bomb. The police are notified, and she stands frozen, afraid to put it down,
until they arrive. Quinn demands she hand it to him, as he will heal better should it
go off. Eric appears as well, called through the new blood bond by Sookie’s panic.
The bomb is finally taken by a vampire bomb-disposal expert, and Sookie and
Quinn breathe a sigh of relief as they hug, while Eric slips quietly away. After being
questioned by hotel security, Sookie returns to her room to find Quinn waiting for
her in the hallway. After checking to see that her roommate is out, Sookie invites
Quinn in, and they spend a quiet night sleeping in each other’s arms.

FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 23. Sookie is dressed and waiting for Quinn to escort
her to the ball when he calls with the news that the lawsuit against the queen is
going to be heard immediately. She is escorted into the proceedings by Andre, who
sits beside her. Sookie learns that the judge (a vampire) is the Ancient Pythoness,
the blind oracle that Alexander the Great consulted. Henrik Feith has continued the
case against Sophie-Anne. Sookie reads the mind of Henrik’s lawyer—and quite
possibly that of Henrik—and learns that Henrik has been told the queen plans to
kill him. He is pursuing the case in the hopes of saving his own life. Sookie stands
and reassures the terrified man of the queen’s sincerity in offering him a place. The
Ancient Pythoness eventually finds Sophie-Anne not guilty, and by the terms of her
contract with her deceased husband, the queen inherits the entire kingdom he
formerly controlled. Henrik is then asked to name the person who lied to him. Just
as the terrified man is about to obey, he is struck in the heart by a wooden arrow
thrown by a vampire in the audience. Quinn leaps across the stage to protect Sookie
and takes a second arrow in his shoulder. Batanya decapitates the assassin with a
throwing star as Sookie tries to aid Quinn.

Quinn is taken to the infirmary by Were paramedics for further treatment.
Since the trial is over, the ball begins. Sookie enjoys dancing with Eric, but when
she begins to dance with Barry, Eric steps in, disapproving of the way that she is
shaking her assets on the dance floor. Barry slips away, and she and Eric have a
confrontation that is only alleviated when two professional dancers, both vampires,
step in to dance with the angry couple.

Sookie decides to find Quinn. She heads to Jake’s room to track Quinn’s
whereabouts. Jake says he doesn’t know where Quinn is, and Sookie is disquieted
when he tries to conceal that he has guests in his room. After finally locating Quinn
in the infirmary, Sookie has an intense conversation with him about their
relationship. As she leaves, Sookie finds Batanya’s second-in-command, Clovache,
waiting for her. Clovache reveals that the King of Kentucky hired the Britlingens
after discovering a Fellowship of the Sun spy in his entourage. She also discloses
that the spy revealed under torture that a splinter group of the Fellowship is
planning a strike of some kind against the vampires during the summit, and that
she and Batanya feel that security is lax at the hotel.

Back in the ballroom, Sophie-Anne, now cleared of all charges, is enjoying her
success at the ball. She releases Sookie from further duties. Sookie goes to her room
to ponder what she has learned.

SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24. Sookie joins Barry in the hotel restaurant for a
late breakfast, and they look over their itineraries together. Later that evening there
will be interstate vampire trials to attend, where they are to surreptitiously read the
human witnesses, and they both wonder at the purpose of a four-hour block of
time labeled “Commerce.” The waiter gives Sookie a packet from Bill with
information on the four area archery ranges. Sookie asks Barry to accompany her as
she investigates at Eric’s behest, looking for information on the vampire who threw
the arrows the previous night. They hit pay dirt at the third range, and Barry takes
over the questioning as a flirtatious employee offers to let them review the security
tapes later. When they return, they find the door ripped off its hinges, two dead
employees, and a smoldering pile of security tapes. They hurry back to the hotel,
and Sookie reports to Eric, then goes to her room to dress for the vampire trials. She
is astonished to find that vampire justice is swift and permanent; a vampire is
staked when the judgment goes against him.

The commerce part of the evening consists of business deals between the
various vampires. Sophie-Anne negotiates for goods and services to help her
rebuild Louisiana, while Sookie assists by reading the minds of the human vendors.
After they retire to the queen’s suite for drinks, Sookie realizes that Christian
Baruch, the vampire hotelier in charge of the Pyramid, has his own agenda and is
likely responsible for planting the soda-can bomb in an effort to alarm the queen, so
she would blindly accept his protection and courtship. To Sookie’s surprise, Jake
approaches her and strongly suggests she get Quinn to take her out the next day.
He seems pleased when she agrees to consider his suggestion. As she is leaving for
the night, Sookie alerts Andre to her suspicions about Baruch.

SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 25. A panicked Barry speaking in her mind awakens
Sookie. Pulling on her clothes, she hurries down the corridor to meet him and finds
the unconscious body of Jake, apparently felled by the sun as he tried to reach her
room. Barry joins her just as Sookie puts all the pieces together and realizes that
Jake has taken part in the plot against the vampires. Calling Mr. Cataliades and
Diantha while Barry gets his human roommate, Cecile, Sookie tells them she fears
that bombs have been placed all over the hotel and will soon be detonated. Sookie
calls Quinn to warn him and his sister, Frannie. Cecile pulls the fire alarm in the
hopes that the human occupants will evacuate before the bombs destroy the
building. They all run to try to save the vampires in their groups, and Sookie feels
the first explosion just as she reaches the room Eric is sharing with Pam. She is
barely able to rouse Eric, and together they place an unconscious Pam in her coffin
and close the lid. More bombs are rocking the collapsing building as they push the
coffin out the ninth-floor window. Wrapped in the ceremonial cloak he wore to
officiate at the wedding, Eric is barely able to fly them both safely to the ground,
and Pam’s coffin lands hard. Both vampires are burned, but they are taken to a
nearby basement for treatment and protection. Sookie saves a seriously injured Bill
and is greatly relieved when she locates Quinn. As she climbs over the destroyed
building to reach Quinn, she discovers an unconscious Andre nearby. Quinn is
terribly wounded, both his legs broken by fallen beams, and his sister, Frannie, is
lying near him with a head injury, but when Sookie tells him an unconscious Andre
is nearby, Quinn encourages her to leave them. Surprised, Sookie reluctantly goes
to help others, but as she walks away, she hears Quinn begin to move and knows
she will never have to fear that Andre will force her to take his blood again. Sookie
locates Barry, and they begin to use their gifts to help rescue workers find those still
alive but trapped in the rubble. They work all day to find survivors, but as evening
begins to fall, they know they have to leave before they are forced to account for
themselves with the authorities. Sookie is able to call Mr. Cataliades, who is in the
basement with the vampires, and he calls a cab to take the two telepaths to a hotel
for the night.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 26. Mr. Cataliades arrives at the hotel with the news
that a plane will be leaving in three hours, stopping first in Dallas and then in
Shreveport, and that if they want a ride home, they need to be at the terminal. As
they part, Sookie discovers that Quinn has been taken to a nearby hospital. She
elects to visit him rather than catch the plane. Sookie finds Quinn unconscious with
a weary, hungry, filthy Frannie at his bedside. She gives the younger girl money for
a change of clothes and a meal, and Frannie offers Sookie the use of her car to drive
home, since she will have to take Quinn home in his van.

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28. After two days of driving, a relieved Sookie
returns home to an ecstatic welcome by Amelia. Tara soon arrives with the news
that she and JB du Rone have gotten married. Sookie tries to be happy for her
friends and tells herself that if she just stays away from vampires and Weres for a
while, she’ll be okay.