Chapter 37 Summary

Severo keeps vigil, praying before an altar. He thinks about Bible verses stating that one should not tempt God, and Severo realizes he has used Amara to entrap God. Severo wishes that he could stop believing in God, live in a world with no meaning, and stop trying to correct the suffering and injustice in the world. God's presence, however, stays heavily with Severo through the night.

Palinor is also awake, not wanting to waste his final hours of consciousness. He wonders what means Severo will take to kill him before the fire. He now wishes he hadn't sent Joffre to the docks to attempt to send a message to Aclar, as Palinor thought it would ease his wife's mind to know what had happened to him. It had all been in vain.

Palinor recalls a passage from St. Augustine, the only reading...