Epilogue Summary

The Epilogue is written in third person after Wilbur's death and describes events after he left for Urbana. When Wilbur heard Eliza in the afterlife, Wilma von Peterswald and her son David were present. David suffered from Tourette's and could not control his obscenities, which were echoed by voices in the afterlife. Finally, Wilbur and Eliza were able to converse. She told him to die as quickly as possible so they could put their heads together to improve the afterlife. Wilbur told her of the diseases affecting the living and with their combined brains, they solved how it happened: the flue was caused by miniature Martians but their invasion had been repelled by the survivors antibodies since the flu had subsided; the Green Death were microscopic Chinese who were accidentally inhaled or eaten and fatal to humans. After speaking to his sister, Wilbur...