Part 1: Chapters 6 through 8 Summary

When the power fails Ish is suddenly again fighting panic. He soon finds that it's a nuisance because of the lack of refrigeration but that he can survive comfortably. He notes changes in his world - that a drain is plugged and water flow rerouted and that there's a billy goat in an area where there were previously none. The next day, as the weather cools, he notes smoke that seems to be coming from a fireplace. He refuses to go that direction and heads away from the column of smoke. He cites the less-than-successful attempts at human contact as his reason. Then he critically asks if Robinson Crusoe really wanted to be rescued, seeming to make a parallel to himself and the question of whether he really wanted human companionship. After a day's roaming in the car, he...