Chapters 22-23 Summary and Analysis

In chapter 22, Shirley wakes the second day in the mountains to find that David wants to go to a nearby town of Ataura and that they will be giving one of the women who works in Food a ride to the market. In the car, Shirley finds herself listening to the woman describe the frequent visitations the village has had of spacecrafts that appear to be from outer space. David explains that the valley above their village is inaccessible by humans, therefore it is a perfect place for the extraterrestrials to hide out. The woman says it is popularly believed that they are mining something in the mountains there. In Ataura they walk through the market and David tells Shirley a little more about the culture of the people, including encouraging people to talk about the extraterrestrials, trying to...