Summary

The next section is “Myrrh is Mine, Its Bitter Perfume, 1991.” December 13 opens with a musical practice at Cambridge. Hugo Lamb, a student, is watching when he meets Immaculee Constantin. She tells Hugo that the rules of life and death can be “rewritten” to include “the perpetual deferral of death.” Hugo comes back to consciousness to discover he has lost several hours and that the building he's in is closing.

He later meets with some of his friends, including Richard Cheeseman who has been hired to write a review for Crispin Hershey's book, “Desiccated Embryos.” At a bar later, Hugo encounters Elijah D'Arnoq, a fellow student he'd met once at a rifle club meeting.

In December 20, Hugo is at home with his family for the holiday. Hugo spends time whenever he's home with a man named...