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Kate Wetherall is a member of the Mysterious Benedict Society. She is very athletic and spent the early part of her life in the circus. She is known for her bucket that dangles on her waist wherever she goes. She is very vigorous, brave and tends to move and think quickly in times of trouble, which makes the Society happy to have her.

Appearance[]

Kate is very tall with broad shoulders and long legs. She has ocean blue eyes, like her father, Milligan's. She has long, blonde hair that she wears in a ponytail most of the time and, according to the illustration, short bangs on her forehead. (Once Kate measured her hair by hanging off of a bed and seeing if it touched the floor. It came a few inches short, as she expected.) She is always portrayed with a red-and-white striped T-shirt and blue jeans, though it's never specified that she wears this. She is never seen without her bucket, which contains rope, fishing twine, a spyglass, magnet, marbles, slingshot and a Swiss army knife. As quoted by Reynie Muldoon, "Kate seemed to have doubled in size. She had drawn back her broad shoulders and set her jaw, and something in her stance called to mind the contained ferocity of a lioness. But it was the fierceness in Kate's bright blue eyes that had the most striking effect. The sort of look that made you thankful she wasn't your enemy."

Personality[]

“I’ve tried to get people to call me The Great Kate Weather Machine, but nobody ever goes along with it. I don’t suppose you boys would call me that, would you?”

-Kate Wetherall, The Mysterious Benedict Society

Kate, otherwise known as "The Great Kate Weather Machine," (Her rarely used, but preferred nickname), is smart, a fun-loving daredevil, and adventurous. According to Reynie, she will show you something dramatic and then act as if you shouldn't be surprised. It's been noted on several occasions that she thinks too quickly and relies heavily on instinct. She has great faith in her own physical abilities and has proven her worth several times. She doesn't ever seem to be sad or worried; she keeps a very tough exterior. However, she is more affected by her early childhood than she lets on, and often feels she needs to prove that she can do things on her own due to growing up without parents.

It's possible that she does things without thinking and then feels extreme guilt later; as implied in the third book. She can't ever seem to stop moving and she makes friends quickly and easily.

She is fun, active, and positive, "Well, of course it's not funny, Reynie Muldoon. But what do you want me to do? Cry?" as she said in The Mysterious Benedict Society.

She doesn't go anywhere without her red bucket filled with useful tools such as a rope, a spyglass, a flashlight, and a horseshoe magnet. "I can't imagine not having a bucket. How else am I to tote my things?" Although in the Riddle of Ages she swaps her bucket for a utility belt, she still uses it when Tai brings it for her.

Because of her athletic powers, it's easy to forget that Kate gets excellent grades and considers school "easy." She cares greatly for her friends, even though her antics can get them into trouble, and has come up with nicknames for them such as "Connie Girl."

She is Milligan Wetherall's daughter, though she doesn't seem to have gotten her eternal cheerfulness and tendency to throw caution to the wind from him. Milligan has been known to do this, but not without great cause and as a last resort.

Her last name, Wetherall, is a reference to her personality: it can be read as "weather all", in the sense that she can weather, or endure, all sorts of situations. It is also the source of her proposed nickname, The Great Kate Weather Machine.

Abilities[]

Kate is athletic. She spent a good part of her life in the circus and learned the following skills, among others:

  • Acrobatics
  • Falconry
  • Efficiency
  • Jumping off cliffs
  • Regurgitating
  • Almost anything that requires physical strength
  • Ducking
  • Quick-witted
  • The training and ability to be shot from a cannon

She is very fast (Reynie can't imagine anyone being faster than her) and can take out men twice her size and age. In fact, in The Riddle of the Ages Kate runs at an almost superhuman speed to help complete the society's mission. Kate also has a strange mathematical ability that lets her gauge distances with more accuracy than a surveyor. She can instantly tell, for example, when a room is six feet by six foot five inches. She can hold up to travelling quite well, being the least seasick member of the Society when riding the M/V Shortcut. Kate gained many of these abilities because she traveled with the circus. She studied falconry there, was an acrobat, and learned to be shot from cannons.

Relationships[]

Reynie Muldoon[]

"We're all responsible for each other, right?" -Kate Wetherall, The Prisoner's Dilemma

Kate and Reynie met after taking the test to be part of the society and have been friends ever since. For a time, they lived together in Mr. Benedict's house in separate rooms, along with the other members of the society. Reynie has always been impressed with her athletic ability, and the same thing goes for her with his intelligence. They have both been very protective of each other, always looking out for one another.

"Are you trying to suggest that you know me well, Reynard Muldoon?" -Kate, The Riddle of Ages

"It's possible I've picked up a thing or two." -Reynie, The Riddle of Ages

Constance Contraire[]

"And you think sorry covers it?" -Constance Contraire, The Prisoner's Dilemma

"Sorry will have to do for now, Connie Girl." -Kate Wetherall, The Prisoner's Dilemma

Constance and Kate annoy each other to no end, but they both care about each other deep down. This is shown whenever Kate calls Constance "Connie Girl." Constance and Kate (though Constance may not admit it,) make a great team. They have a sister-like relationship and share a room while Kate lives at Mr. Benedict's house.

Sticky Washington[]

"She didn't believe me when I told her it meant 'beauty'." -Sticky Washington, The Perilous Journey

"It's always best to stick to small words. If you'd said that to me, I'd have punched you." -Kate Wetherall, The Perilous Journey

Kate and Sticky also have a strong bond and met while taking the test when they were young. Kate enjoys messing with Sticky and making sure that he doesn't become too "into himself." They are still very good friends and usually get along pretty well.

Milligan Wetherall[]

"Sorry it took me so long, Katie-Cat." -Milligan, The Mysterious Benedict Society

Milligan is Kate's long-lost father, which they learn at the end of the 1st book. Milligan is constantly underestimating Kate and learning from it. Kate loves being able to prove him wrong. Milligan has a strong love for his daughter, and affectionately refers to her as his "Katie-Cat." Kate loves Milligan and is once quoted saying "If he weren't Milligan, I'd be constantly worrying about him," while talking to Reynie. Milligan was brainswept by Mr. Curtain and didn't even remember his name. All he could remember was "mill again," because right before he was brainwashed, he promised his daughter Kate they would go to the mill again, leading him to choose the name Milligan. His real name is never revealed.

Biography[]

Before the Series[]

As a toddler, Kate lived on a farm with Milligan after her mother died. She states that her only memory from this time is of swimming at the mill pond and saying "Daddy, may we go to the mill again?" After Milligan was captured on a mission and failed to return, she was sent to an orphanage. She eventually ran away to the circus and kept running away there upon being sent back until they let her stay. She had a fantastic time there and learned a variety of acrobatic skills.

The Mysterious Benedict Society[]

When she was twelve, Kate saw Mr. Benedict's ad in the newspaper, said "adios" to her circus friends, and hopped a train to get to Stonetown to take the strange tests. She actually failed the second stage of testing, but when she saved Number Two (known by Kate as "Old Yellow Suit") from angry parents with many questions, she was allowed to go on to the next session, thus meeting Reynie and Sticky.

She quickly befriends the boys and reveals that she is twelve years old (making her the oldest of the four), her mother died when she was young and her father disappeared, she lived in the circus, and she can tell distances with one glance. She impresses them with how she breezes through the tests. Once at the house, while she and Reynie wait for Sticky, she admits she can only play Chopsticks on the piano. When Mr. Benedict asks them if they want to continue with the mission, and after learning about the danger, she says yes without hesitation.

When they go to the Institute, she and Constance Contraire are roommates, and she often sneaks into Reynie and Sticky's room using the air vents. She makes enemies with Martina, one of the Messengers, and does not hesitate when there's a chance to spy for their benefit. She loses some of her tools when she escapes being caught by swimming in Stonetown Harbor but manages to retrieve them.

When Sticky and Reynie manage to message the girls to come to the flag tower, Kate finds herself in a dangerous position. She is eventually forced to fight Martina, Jackson, and Jillson after sending Constance to relative safety, and is caught. She's about to be at the mercy of Martina when a voice claims that Martina will "do not such a thing". It is then revealed Milligan is Kate's father. She rejoins the boys, faces off with Mr. Curtain with them, and they stay together until the very end of the book.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey[]

The story begins at Kate Wetherall's farm, where all the children plan to stay for a few days before setting off to Stonetown to visit Mr. Benedict, who is planning to send them on an international treasure hunt to test their skills. When they arrive at Mr. Benedict's house, they receive bad news from Rhonda that Mr. Benedict and Number Two have been kidnapped by Ledroptha Curtain, the villain of the previous book and twin brother of Mr. Benedict. In his ransom letter, Mr. Curtain describes a certain "rare plant" and says he needs to know who the person "extremely close" to Mr. Benedict is, because that person has information about this mysterious plant. If this information is not provided to him, Mr. Benedict and Number Two will be in "grave danger".

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Kate Wetherall in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Perilous Journey.

Constance reveals that Mr. Benedict gave her a letter before he was kidnapped and told her to open it when the other children arrived. The envelope contains a message of greeting from Mr. Benedict and a nonsensical riddle. In this riddle, they discover, the words are in alphabetical order. They are in turn led to a dictionary, and then a journal, in which is another nonsensical riddle. The children discern it to mean TAKE THE SHORTCUT. The children sneak off on the M/V Shortcut, the “fastest ship in the world” and find more information that takes them to a castle in Portugal. from there, hidden evidence directs them to a library in Thernbaakagen. There they learn that the “mysterious plant” is an extremely rare growth called duskwort. It has the power, when burnt, to put entire villages to sleep for hours on end. It also is a possible antidote to Mr. Benedict’s narcolepsy. Researching the duskwort, they find that no one knows what it looks like. They travel to a hotel but are found by two of Mr. Curtain’s henchmen, called the Ten Men. However, they are rescued by Milligan, who accompanies them to find more evidence.

They finally find the location of the duskwort, an abandoned island. On the island, they find a delirious Number Two, who tells them where Mr. Benedict is: the top of the mountain of the island. They are ambushed by a group of Ten Men. Milligan comes to the rescue and takes on the Ten Men. The children travel to the top of the mountain, while Milligan is backed off a fifty-foot cliff and falls onto a bed of rocks. They discover Mr. Benedict chained to the wall in a cave. He begs them to destroy the duskwort. Upon the children saying they don’t know what it looks like, he jumps up and reveals himself to be Mr. Curtain, and locks the children to the wall with the real Mr. Benedict. Mr. Curtain leaves after Mr. Benedict tells him where the duskwort is. Mr. Benedict cleverly tricks S.Q. Pedalian into unlocking their handcuffs, and they escape. Mr. Benedict falls asleep from narcolepsy, and the children are forced to carry him down the mountain. They find Milligan (extremely injured) and Mr. Benedict comes to. They race to the forest. Ten Men are surrounding them everywhere, in addition to Mr. Curtain’s amphibious vehicle being hot on their trail. Just when all seems lost, the mighty figure of the Shortcut races into the bay at top speed. It grounds on the shore, pinning Ten Men to the ground, and allowing the children to climb on board. after a final standoff, Mr. Curtain escapes, and the children, Mr. Benedict, and Number Two are reunited with their families.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma[]

In the third installment of the Mysterious Benedict Society series, Reynie, Sticky, Kate, Constance, and various loved ones find themselves holed up in Mr. Benedict's house, which is teeming with security. The evil Mr. Curtain is at large and hunting for the Whisperer -- now in Mr. Benedict's possession -- so he can try again to control minds from afar. When a shady businessman shows up with false records that say he's

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Kate Wetherall in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoners Dilemma.

Constance's father, it compels Mr. Benedict to use the Whisperer to uncover her short past. Distraught and confused after all is revealed, Constance runs away, with the whole household after her -- just the distraction Mr. Curtain and his men need to steal the Whisperer and set his evil plans in motion.

Of course, the rest of the Mysterious Benedict Society soon find themselves on his trail. They cover their tracks by leaving false clues for the Society, but the Society doesn't notice until too late. In complete accordance with her personality, Kate rushes headlong into Curtain's trap with Reynie, Sticky, and Constance trying to warn her. She ends up getting them all captured. Later, when they're trying to escape, they realize that Kate is the only one who has a chance. Sticky tells her to go, even if only she can get out. But Kate is seen by a Ten Man as she scouted the area. The Ten Men don't hurry as Kate runs to the Salamander. Kate finds out why - McCracken is waiting for her inside. When Kate returns to her friends, she describes what she outside. Sticky and Reynie figure that they were in a real prison that was for demolition. They were on Third Island. They plan another way to escape and come to the idea of using Constance's amazing abilities. Constance sends a message to Mr. Benedict of where they were. After concentrating hard and long, she gets an image in her head. Unsure if it was a dream, for she had fallen asleep because the image had made her relax, or a message, The Mysterious Benedict Society discuss what it meant.

The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of the Ages[]

Kate returns, along with the rest of the society in The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of the Ages for a new mission. In this book Kate, Reynie, and Sticky are all in their late teens, while Constance is most likely an older pre-teen age. The society meets Tai and go on a mission to stop the Ten Men from breaking Mr. Curtain out of prison.

Quotes[]

The Mysterious Benedict Society[]

"I have an idea. Why don't you give us some food and tell us what this is all about?"

"'Is that really the best you can say? An average-looking boy? An awful lot of boys are average-looking, S.Q.!' And poor S.Q., he just kept arguing that 'this boy was especially average-looking."

"Well, of course it's not funny, Reynie Muldoon. But what do you want me to do? Cry?"

The Perilous Journey[]

"Good grief! They're going to call us inside soon, and Sticky hasn't even met Madge yet!"
"Who's Madge?"
"Her Majesty the Queen!"
~ Kate and Sticky, respectively

The Prisoner's Dilemma[]

"So, what's your team called?" asked Kate, twisting her legs into a pretzel-like configuration, "We're called the Winmates because we're inmates who win." Kate looked back and forth at Reynie and Constance, searching their expression for signs of delight.
"You gave yourselves a name?" asked Constance.
Now it was Kate's turn to be baffled. "You didn't? How can you have a team without a name?"

"You know, I'm starting to regret finding you."

"Alleged! Possible!"

"Fine! Get it over with and go back to your precious, nasty work!"

"But that would be rude. We were whispering about you [Crawlings], after all, and I'm afraid we weren't saying very nice things."

"Even if you catch me, I'll fight you. And believe me, you won't like it."

Trenton Lee Stewart (The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Prisoner's Dilemma)

Trivia[]

  • Kate is the oldest member of the Society. She is twelve years old in The Mysterious Benedict Society and celebrates her thirteenth birthday before The Perilous Journey.
  • Kate is the only member of the Society who hasn't used the Whisperer.
  • Kate is the only member of the Society who could (and did) win a fight against a Ten Man.
  • Kate is the only member of the Society whose room is neat.
  • She is quite famous among the Ten Men, as she is deemed the most dangerous Society member in direct confrontations.
  • She is the most adventurous and resourceful.
  • Kate is the tallest Mysterious Benedict Society Member.
  • She has trained herself to regurgitate, which she does with a key, (as noted in the second book).
  • She got a falcon for her 13th birthday named Madge (Her Majesty The Queen).
  • According to the first book, her zodiac sign is Taurus, suggesting that her birthday is between April 21st and May 21st.
  • Kate's home by the farm is about a mile away from the nearest small town.
  • She was a good swimmer by the time she was two.
  • She was apprenticed under a falcon trainer in the circus. According to the legal requirements for owning a falcon, this apprenticeship must have lasted at least two years.
  • In order to have received a falconry permit, Kate had to have gotten at least an 80% on the state falconry exam. As she was part of a circus, it's likely she had to have taken the federal exam as well to have permission to go state to state with it.
  • She is extremely athletic.
  • For fans who ship Kate and Reynie, interestingly their ship name is Katie, which is what Kate is called by her father.

Gallery[]

Sources[]

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