Character Analysis
Dead Poets Society
Ronnie isn't quite a red herring, but he does smell a little fishy. Ronnie is the "Dead Kid" in the title of Chapter 17, but it's unclear if he's dead or if he's just missing. He was a kid who wrote poetry, played the flute, and dated Elise. According to Ajay, Ronnie "excelled at excellence" (18.64). Don't let Will hear that, Ajay.
As we've mentioned, Will has a knack for finding people who exist simply to serve him. Ronnie miraculously manages to fit into that category even though he is probably dead. Ronnie leaves behind his syn-app, a digital avatar, which leads Will on a quest for clues along a trail of digital breadcrumbs. These puzzles lead Will to the image of the Black Caps training Lyle to draw monsters in from the Never-Was. In that image is the case labeled "The Paladin Prophecy." Title shout-out, ladies and gents.
But we never figure out exactly what happened to poor Ronnie. Stay tuned.