Keating leaves to oversee the building of a museum in Washington. While he is gone, Francon asks to see Roark. Roark enters, and Francon tells him that they have a client who wants a building like the Dana building. The client has already rejected three drawings from other designers, and Francon asks Roark, since he has worked with Cameron, to design a building almost identical to the Dana building. Francon only wants minor changes to be made to the façade so as not to embarrass the firm. Roark pleads with him to let him design it as he wishes, refusing to design it as Francon described. Francon takes offense and fires him. Roark goes to see Mike and Mike is upset by the news.
Keating returns from Washington. Francon rambles on about a girl named Lili Landau whom he wants and how Gail Wynand (of the Banner) has set out to impress her. He tells Keating nonchalantly about what has been going on in the office, including Roark being fired. Peter is satisfied but not surprised, and says he will not try to convince him to bring him back. Peter is slightly relieved that he may be able to forget Roark.
Roark looks for work. He goes to the firms he hates the least first. People either pity him, hate him, or are indifferent; no one wants to hire him, after seeing his drawings and knowing he was expelled from Stanton and fired from Francon & Heyer. He thinks he may have found someone who might hire him when he reads "Make Way for Tomorrow" by Gordon L. Prescott. Roark goes to see him; although in the article Prescott talked about giving creative young architects a chance, he blows Roark off, saying he doesn't have enough talent. Prescott shows him a drawing of a building (a modern copy of the Parthenon), and describes it as genius. Roark begins to think he may never build anything in the city.
