Hippolyte Lamartine Summary

Thanks to the arrival at the Gull Reef Club of Hippolyte Lamartine and his "strange crew," things start to look up for Norman Paperman—the cistern is repaired and full of water, the pump works, remodeling on the old dining room proceeds apace, electricity is flowing, and all employees, including Esmée, are back at work. Although Hippolyte is physically repulsive—short, fat, ill-tempered and always carrying a machete—he is a wizard at repair and maintenance. When he's not working, Hippolyte sharpens his machete with a stone. In addition, when Paperman asks if his two workers, who strongly resemble him, are his brothers Hippolyte merely shakes his head and speaks to them in a language that is neither Calypso nor French. Sheila says Hippolyte is a Frenchman from Guadeloupe who lives in an inbred settlement of white...