Nell Sees Something Peculiar Summary

One morning, Nell takes a look outdoors and notices that everything is covered with a charcoal, powder-like substance. Harv enters the house covered with the same black powder. Harv is wearing a mask and as soon as he takes it off he starts coughing. He explains to his sister that the black dust is called "toner" and that it is simply bodies of dead mites. These mites are victims of a war between factions of mites designed by different clans. Harv cleans himself with a mite gun and leaves the house again to go scavenging.

Nell Sees Something Peculiar Analysis

This chapter covers another aspect of the implications of technology. As the same technology is used by every tribe ("phyle" in the novel), they are bound to clash at some point. The result in this case is...