Summary

The next chapter, the first chapter of Part Two, is titled “The Soldier.” From this point, the novel is exclusively from Hideki's perspective. Hideki regains consciousness and discovers the American soldier is dead. He remembers feeling excited when he received the two grenades, but he now feels empty. He knows his life will forever be divided by what happened before he took a life and what happened afterward. He sees the soldier is young, barely more than a boy. He knows he needs to take the soldier's possessions and is about to take his shoes when he sees movement out of the corner of his eye. He turns, but sees nothing there.

The next chapter is titled “Ghosts.” Hideki takes the soldier's pack and set out. It takes time for him to again become oriented and remember that he is headed south...