Summary

This chapter takes the form of several paragraphs, in third person narration, written to focus on the experiences of different characters.

Baby Nostradamus – Narration describes how, after the baby’s mother died (the circumstances are at this point undefined), the baby was sent to live with Apolonio, and was babysat by Little Merced. The baby telepathically instructed Little Merced how to think and how to block her thoughts from Saturn, a technique represented in the text by a block of black ink. Narration describes the transcendent breadth of the baby’s knowledge (including his awareness of the experiences of several other characters), but how he focused his energy on tutoring Little Merced.

Merced de Papel – Narration describes how Merced de Papel writes down stories and details of her life, including her experiences with sex. Narration also describes how she repairs herself, after...