"The City," Part 1, Chapters 7, 8, and 9 Summary

The next day, Smilla encounters a man named Ravn, who is conducting an investigation of Isaiah's death at the White Palace. Ravn introduces himself as an investigator for the district attorney and states that he is following up on Smilla's letter of complaint. Smilla shares her interpretation of Isaiah's foot tracks left in the snow and Ravn considers her observations carefully. Ravn is impressed by Smilla's innate ability to read the variances in snow. When Ravn asks Smilla to withdraw her complaint during his investigation to avoid disturbance, Smilla senses that Ravn is attempting to conceal something deeper.

Despite the frigid December weather, Smilla walks through Copenhagen to find the ghostly structures that once housed the Cryolite Corporation of Denmark. As Smilla walks around the abandoned buildings, she recalls reading that the cryolite...