Summary

In Chapter 38, B. begins to think of himself in uncharacteristically deprecating terms, and he wonders if he is even capable of making good decisions. B. also feels that he has inexplicably bad luck. For example, in the past week, he has accidentally fallen into open manholes several times. He then wonders if the figure or force that created the world is in some way inherently incompetent. At his apartment, he looks at a donkey figurine that he saved from Ingo’s apartment. The figurine briefly moves and speaks. The puppet then becomes inanimate again, and B. cannot tell if he imagined the movement/speech.

In Chapter 39, B. leaves his job at Zappos and begins to work in sales at a different shoe company. At his next meeting with Barassini, B. sees that Tsai is present and is flirting with Barassini, potentially to further humiliate...