Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott: What's your favorite head-cannon?

An invitation to be creative in the run-up to The Hallmarked Man

Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott: What's your favorite head-cannon?

Some of the most frequent questions Serious Strikers ask among themselves are "Which characters would from previous books would you like to see back?" and "What do you think ever happened to [insert a favorite character here]?" As we eagerly anticipate The Hallmarked Man, I thought it would be fun to share our favorite pet theories, or "head-cannon." Not full fan-fiction, please, though feel free to link to any you might have written elsewhere.

Here's mine. I would love to see a follow-up with Leonora and Orlando Quine, and I really want them to have a happy ending. My idea is that Michael Fancourt had a bit of an Ebeneezer Scrooge moment during the Liz Tassel interrogation, as evidenced by his calling Strike a "cold-hearted bastard" for not running after Liz and trying to prevent her killing herself. (Talk about pot, kettle, black!) In any case, once Liz is safely locked away and Quine's original Bombyx mori published with Fancourt's introduction, I am guessing he agrees to cooperate with the sale of the Talgarth Row house, giving Leonora a second windfall of cash on top of the book royalties. Not only that, but Fancourt chooses to put his half of the proceeds into a trust fund for Orlando, to assure she will have proper care for life, even after her mother is gone. Even if he still hasn't forgiven Quine for keeping quiet about and profiting from the parody, he figures Joe North* would want their old friend's daughter cared for.

Fast forward to 2015, The Ink Black Heart and another character who deserves a happy ending: Zoe. I am going to imagine that, after the events of the book, Robin follows up with Zoe and introduces her to Ilsa, who not only advises Zoe when she has to testify at Gus's trial, but also helps her understand how serious Tim Ashcroft's crime was, and helps Robin encourage Zoe to file charges.

Although Zoe has been invited to move into North Grove, Robin and Ilsa have their doubts that that environment is good for her, especially given the presence of Pez, Nils and Bram. In an instance of wonderful timing, Leonora (who has remodeled her house so it is as clean and cozy as Edna's) calls Ilsa to ask some legal advice about Orlando's trust. By 2015, Edna is getting on in years and no longer able to babysit Orlando as often as she used to. Leonora has also realized that Orlando will likely outlive both her and Edna, and, in the absence of other family, sees the need for someone trustworthy to eventually take over as her legal guardian and advocate. She decides to remodel Owen's old study into a bed and bath suite, and hire a live-in aide to assist with Orlando's care. Ilsa and Robin recommend Zoe.

While Leonora has her initial doubts, she is quickly won over. Zoe finds caring for Orlando much more rewarding than babysitting at North Grove, and the two are able to spend many happy hours together drawing. Zoe moves in, and is able to help with Orlando, while at the same time starting an apprenticeship at a reputable tattoo parlor. Under Zoe's tutelage, Orlando eventually produces professional-level drawings, and is able to supplement the family's income by drawing people's pets.

Leonora's blunt manner ("I expect he knew you were 13 when he took up with you. Nice thing to do to a child, I think not!") and the example she sets of devoted motherhood turns out to be exactly what Zoe needs after her deprived childhood. She gains new confidence and testifies against Ashcroft, who is jailed for his crimes. Zoe finds a new family in the Quines, and becomes like a second daughter to Leonora. She chooses to stay on with them even after she becomes a successful tattoo artist and could afford her own place. She eventually moves out after marrying a fellow artist, and has a daughter, Leonora Robin, who she calls "Nora." Leonora wills Zoe her house and designates her as trustee, when Leonora passes away at a ripe old age, Zoe's family moves back in and continues to care for Orlando, with the help of well-trained aides paid for from the trust fund. So, in my fairy tale, they all live happily ever after.

So, does anyone else have any head-cannon to share? Please place in the comments, or, if that isn't working for you, try the Substack version of this post.

*I’ll expand on another Silkworm-IBH connection that was noted years ago on Hogwartsprofessor. The Silkworm features a large house that Joe North wished to set up as a haven for artists. IBH features North Grove, another house set up as a place for artists. Strike comes close to vomiting on the upper floor of the Silkworm house, when he finds Quine's body; Robin comes close to vomiting on the upper floor of North Grove, when she sees Bram's dead rat.