Chapter 8, A Beginning Summary and Analysis

Ade creates a new series of notepaper while Helen creates a mailing list based on replies to their advertisements. After a short trial run, Ade declares his power plant fully functional. One the first of December, just as the Hoovers are preparing to sleep, they discover, to their alarm, that Ade's work building is on fire! They both run outside, prepared to fight the fire. Ade continually douses the fire, exchanging his empty bucket for one freshly filled by Helen.

The Hoovers spend hours fighting the fire, with an occasional exploding bottle of turpentine demanding their redoubled effort. Eventually the flames subside. At the end of the ordeal they are chilled and wet but too tired to feel it. Ade reasons that the fire might have been caused by a spark from the generator's exhaust. Helen is...