Summary

In Chapter 10, at a press conference, Alice says that Lack appears to be defined by an apparent preference for some types of particles over others. Philip, who is in the audience, says that perhaps Alice and the other physicists are imparting personification onto Lack when such personification may actually be unproductive or non-applicable. In Chapter 11, Alice places various objects into Lack to see what happens. Lack rejects all of the objects. As Alice leaves the lab, she finds that Lack consumed her apartment key. In Chapter 12, over the following weeks, Alice and the other physicists place various other objects into Lack to see which ones he rejects and which ones he consumes. There is no apparent pattern to which objects Lack ‘likes’ and which ones he ‘dislikes.’ However, he never accepts a previously rejected item, and he sometimes rejects items that he accepted before...