Summary

In Chapter 12, Benny meets Jillian’s brother, Mickey, after dating Jillian for several months. Mickey is “small and strange” (191) and he appears both weary and immature. Mickey shows great interest in the financial aspects of Benny’s business. Benny continues to fall in love with Jillian. He imagines spending the rest of his life with her. At dinner one night, Benny hires Mickey to work in his store. Mickey proves to be a successful salesman, and the business seems to flourish. Benny and Jillian enjoy their time together and consider buying a house upstate.

In Chapter 13, “A Dead Soldier,” Stephanie meets another Carrier Institute fellow at her office. He is an Austrian scientist who focuses on dark energy. The scientist tells her that Roger Coster’s son, Matty, was killed during a covert military mission in West Africa (presumably the attempt to free...