Chapter 1 Pages 56-70 Summary

This chapter offers a description of a clock that the king gave to Charlemagne in Persia in 807 is given. Ninety-six hours before George dies, his two daughters are trying to get him to suck on the pink sponge sticks from the hospital because George is dehydrated. He's dying of renal failure.

Howard loves the spring. He wastes an entire day of work in a field using flowers and grass to create tapestries. For four hours, Howard's wife, Kathleen, sits and makes the children sit at the dinner table waiting for their father. When Howard steps in the door, he is covered with mud because he had a seizure. Kathleen rushes to clean Howard off and get him in clean clothes so he can have dinner with his family. She acts as if he wasn't late at all.

Howard is...