Summary

Augustine Lofthouse, a 78-year-old scientist, is living at a research facility on Ellesmore Island in the Canadian Arctic Circle. One year earlier, the facility was evacuated of all other inhabitants after vague warnings of a coming war. Since refusing to evacuate, Augie has heard nothing from the outside world. He is alone in the punishingly cold environment except for a little girl named Iris who appeared shortly after evacuation with no explanation. They live together, huddled in the cold, on the top floor of the facility's observatory. In the occasional hours of sunlight, they venture out and observe the wildlife, including a polar bear and a herd of musk oxen.

Virtually alone and with nothing to do, Augustine reflects on his past and the fact that he has always avoided close personal attachments. He recalls impregnating a fellow scientist at a research facility...