The History of Them All: Chapters 44-47 Summary

In Chapter 44, the narrator details how Edith explained the origin of the Catherine Tekakwitha banquet story to him. He, Edith and F. are lying underneath a sunlamp in their apartment, and they insist he do so in the nude. As he lies there, F. and Edith decide to shoot heroin. The narrator, who does not partake, excuses himself to rifle through Edith's drawers. There, he finds some mail-order holy water. He bursts in to wake them and demand to know the reason for their owning holy water. They have taken to shooting mixed holy-waters, Edith says. She then proceeds to calm the narrator, telling him the story of the feast. A week later, she kills herself.

In Chapter 45, the narrator - having at last left his disgusting apartment - is in...