Gregor the Overlander

It is important to note that the Prophecy of Gray is one of all races being equal. There must be two bats, two spinners (spiders), two crawlers, (cockroaches), two Overlanders, two Underlanders, etc. Though Regalia is at war and two species, humans and rats, fight to annihilate one another, on this quest, all species are equal, and that equality of being is their only hope of survival. This is clearly a message from the author about finding strength in the species’ differences, which can only be wrought out through equal treatment.

In the beginning of the novel, Vikus says that Boots is a natural ambassador because she invites the crawlers to dinner when no one else had even thought to invite them. From the beginning, Boots has love and respect for all living creatures and sees them as her equals. Once the Crawlers officially join the quest, Vikus, moved by Boots’s example, at last invites the roaches to join them for a meal. He says: “It is time those of the prophecy became of one journey, of one purpose, of one mind, all equal here” (168). This message of equality is emphasized throughout the whole work, as without the strengths of the different creatures, the quest would fail. For example, the questers must journey through caverns too low for the bats that only the roaches can navigate. Likewise, they can only journey to the rats’ lair with Ripred’s assistance. Without the bats, Gregor would’ve fallen to his death, and without the spiders, the questers wouldn’t be aware of the rats’ betrayal.