Summary

The narrator secretly visited Dr. Nzinga’s office, the doctor responsible for the country’s most famous and successful demelanization and facial reconstruction surgeries. In the waiting room, the narrator observed several people he recognized coming in and out, including Dinah. Dr. Nzinga consulted the narrator on potential treatments for Nigel, which boasted both high success and high costs.

On a walk, Nigel and the narrator ran into Nigel’s classmate Araminta, who the narrator described as “flippant and crude” (155), with extremely dark skin. Nigel reminded the narrator of Penny’s birthday, and the three set out for the mall to pick out a cake. Distracted, the narrator lost track of the kids and ended up in conversation with Zora, a BEG member, who praised his recent speech. Then “a tremendous thud” shook the ground, setting off panic among shoppers. The narrator ran...