Chapter 8, "The Ghastly Ordeal of Timothy Cavendish" Summary

The final portion of the "Timothy Cavendish" story starts with Cavendish gradually recovering his strength, his speech, and his motor skills following his apparent stroke. In the month that follows, he struggles to regain his memory and his other faculties. When his memory returns, he realizes anew that his is a captive at Aurora House.

While Cavendish awaits the return of his strength and tries to figure out how to escape, he rereads "Half Lives: the First Luisa Rey Mystery," deciding it might make a good thriller after all. He longs for the second half of the mystery, but has left the cover letter and contact information in his office in London.

Cavendish befriends a couple of the other residents of Aurora House - Ernie Blacksmith and Veronica Costello...