I was living at the edge of the world and everything else seemed like a distant dream.
-- Narrator (30,000 Beneath a Eulogy )

Importance: When Cliff first arrives in Siberia, he is primarily interested in discovering more about his late daughter, Clara. However, the more time he spends at the research outpost with Clara's colleagues, the more invested he becomes in his new reality. In this scene, when Cliff's wife Miki texts him updates from home, Cliff is unsure how to respond. He is grateful to hear from his wife, yet has difficulty remaining emotionally invested in his past life. This moment marks a shift in Cliff's storyline and psyche. He begins to psychologically straddle the past, the present, and the future. His relationships with this place and his work also illuminate the mysterious facets of Clara's character while foreshadowing Theresa's revelations in the final chapter of the novel.

Comics let us see a brighter world, forget...
-- Narrator (City of Laughter)