Chapter 2, The Longer Now Summary

The narrator boards the plane for Peru, very tired from his frenzied packing. However, he cannot relax because he keeps hashing over his rash actions and questioning his decision to fly to Peru. When the plane is in the air, the narrator goes to the restroom. On the way, he sees a man he thinks he recognizes and overhears this man the stewardess about the manuscript. At first unsure what to do, the narrator asks the man about his connection to the manuscript. It turns out that the man is Wayne Dobson, an assistant professor of history from New York University.

Dobson asks the narrator how he learned of the First Insight and what he understands of it. This sets off a discussion about history and how men have studied it incorrectly for many decades. Dobson says...