Chapter 13 Summary

After leaving the baby with the doctor, Bird and Himiko go to the gay bar that Himiko spoke of earlier. There they encounter Bird's friend Kikuhiko who, as he pours drinks, recognizes Bird and reminisces briefly with him. Bird, for his part, recalls how, when they last saw each other at the end of an adventure (a search for a missing man), Kikuhiko's last words were of fear. As the result of their conversation, Bird realizes that unlike his old friend, he has nothing to make his life worthy, nothing to defend from the influence of the baby (see "Quotes", p. 161). He then announces to Himiko that he's changed his mind and is going to retrieve the baby, take it back to the hospital, and have the operation. Himiko tries with increasing desperation to talk him out of it, reminding him of their...