Chapter 3 Summary

Stormgren suffers from insomnia, as he worries about his future after his retirement, which is four months away. Since he has no close family ties, Stormgren has become obsessed with his work. The secrecy of the Overlords and the identity of Karellen are consuming his thoughts.

Stormgren's thoughts are interrupted by a message coming from the fax machine. The fax is an article written by the Freedom League, speculating that the identity of the Overlords is too hideous for them to reveal themselves to humans. Stormgren detests the article, and deems it rather shallow. He feels that a being's brain is more important than their looks, and wants to convince Karellen to reveal himself on this belief. Stormgren also admits to himself that he mainly wants to see Karellen out of basic human curiosity.

The next morning, Pieter Van Ryberg, Stormgren's assistant, is...