Spoils Summary

The story begins with first person narrative, and the narrator and a female companion, possibly a spouse, listen to the news. The narrator comments on something, and the female responds with, "Become a vegetarian then!" The narrator thinks about how he wants no part of the world.

The narrative switches to third person. A man and a woman are at a weekend outing at a game preserve with many other couples. The people come from all different professions, but all share a love of nature. The members of the outing nap after lunch, and later after dinner they discuss various wildlife, including bats. Some of the guests discuss the experiences of one particular guest who was once a political prisoner. The discussion of politics seems inappropriate to the larger group, and the conversation returns to wildlife.

Some guests hear unidentified sounds, and a...