Summary

In “The Columbia River,” Laks sensed the point at which he was supposed to swim to the bank in the United States portion of the Columbia River. He heard a drone but sensed it was safe so he did not think much about it. He found his ride, a tractor-trailer carrying a storage container, at a convenience store.

Laks went to sleep and woke when the truck stopped at a gas station. Because he needed the restroom, he covered his head with a turban, which bore scares and ports from his surgeries. After he was finished, he noticed two people standing in the parking lot staring at him.

In “Uncle Ed’s,” Willem was surprised when one of Ed’s badminton friends approached him and mentioned there had been “interesting developments” (578) at the mine. The man turned out...