Ranga and Radha leave the room, and Will naps. When he awakes, he continues reading the Old Raja’s book. As he comes upon a section that deals with self-inflicted sorrow, a loose paper falls out. It is a poem, evidently written by Susila, who appears in Will’s room just as he has finished reading it. Will asks Susila about the poem and how it relates to her childhood. Susila explains how her parents’ marriage failed because they had completely different personality types. Susila discusses how families on Pala are different than in Western cultures. Rather than being exclusive and predestined, the concept of family in Pala is far more community-minded. This idea is best represented by Mutual Adoption Clubs, which encourage a community child-rearing approach.

Will reveals his shame to Susila. He cheated on his wife, Molly, and slept with his affair-partner on the night of Molly’s funeral. Will also flashes back to the death of his Aunt Mary, which devastated him. Will had been an aspiring poet but was not skilled enough to make it his career. He chose journalism as a practical way of earning income. He came to see the world and people as pointless, and his cynicism grew.