Chapters 25-27 Summary

Axel draws in the room he has rented for Margot and she puts off the road trip. One day, Axel offers to drive rather than hiring a chauffeur, claiming he needs a holiday. She does not believe Axel that it will be hard to have sex during the trip; they are smart enough to find ways. Walking home, she takes a shortcut through her childhood neighborhood, and meets Kaspar. He tells her about her parents selling out and moving to North Berlin, and Otto is in Bielefeld. Kaspar urges her gently to visit her people, is happy she is getting married, but is sorry they cannot have fun like the old days. Secretly, Kaspar sees Margot going to the dogs and needing to marry a good, simple man—but not him.

Endless fruit trees pass and dead bugs clog the...