Summary

In the 31st section titled “2002, Paris,” Z sits in his boss’s office. They are having a private meeting called by Z who begins by apologizing for the urgent request to meet. Z needed to take “an unscheduled leave” (165). He requests permission to visit America to help his mother, who recently received news that her health was terminal. Z’s boss responds sympathetically, approving his leave of absence.

Z had established this contingency-plan years prior just in case it was ever needed. On one visit to America, Z legally changed his name. Later at his parents’ house, he mentioned “a critical e-mail related task” to his mother (167). The task he asked of her was this: Z had created a new e-mail account. He did not want his mother to send him messages on this account, but if she ever were...