Part I Summary

The story opens with the narrator saying that he is living on an island with Melissa's child. He writes that he has "escaped" with only a few books and the child, though he doesn't really know why he uses the word "escaped." He points out the peaceful existence here and recalls the people of his past, including Melissa, Justine, Nessim and Belthazar. He also talks of the place of his past - Alexandria - and says that he's come a long way in order to understand his life. The narrator says that he and the child, who speaks in a "language of her own invention," have completed the stonework for their house and have buried rings given to Melissa by Cohen at the cornerstones in keeping with the traditions of the island. The narrator recounts his first meeting with Justine who...