Summary

In Chapter 19, George is at the store making what Kumiko has called his final cutting. He has a fever and is upset with himself for sleeping with Rachel. Mehmet comes in and tells George that he sticks around because George inspires loyalty. That is why everyone sticks around once they know him. George fires him, telling him that he is doing so for Mehmet’s own good.

Kumiko has put all of the tiles out of the story she has been telling. There is only one left to go. George tries to get Kumiko to tell him the content of what she is working on so he knows what to do, but she does not. She just tells him that as an artist he will know it when he makes it. After that, things had gotten strange between them even though they did...