Part 4, Saturday, Section 1, p. 100 - 114 Summary

Martyn wakes to a cold grey morning, noisy neighbors, and the suddenly jarring sound of the phone - Alex, calling to say she's on her way out and that it will probably be all right for them to borrow the car that night. After she hangs up, Martyn realizes he needs to get out of the house for a while, and decides to go down to a nearby beach. He gets some change out of Dad's room (which is really starting to smell bad) and catches a bus down to the beach - in fact, a small spit of land which becomes an island when the tide comes in. On the bus ride, Martyn catches glimpses of abandoned farms, piles of garbage, and destroyed equipment and vehicles - all images of decay and deterioration.

When...