Chapter 5 Summary

Mallinson is angry that the four Europeans have to stay at Shangri-La for two months. Conway tries to reason with him that a Consul is always sent to odd places. Conway asks the others if they will be missed. Barnard says he never writes letters, so no one will notice his absence. Mallinson has a girlfriend and family in England who will mind if he is missing. He wants to leave as soon as possible. Miss Brinklow is surprisingly non-committal about being "kidnapped."

Conway advises them to get along as best they can: no quarrels. Barnard and Mallinson speculate about how the monks get money. One theory is that they have a millionaire supporter. Chang offers to give them a tour of the buildings. Mallinson refers to him as a "chink." Conway is not a racist and has enjoyed the company of Chinese...