Part II, From a Bird's Eye View, 1989-1991, Chapter 12, Jumping over Puddles, Chapter 13, Kolyma, Fog and More Fog Summary and Analysis

At the start of Chapter 12, Rayzard is now in Yakutsk, a city full of gold and diamonds. It is also bitterly cold, so much so that a "great cold" often brings shining mist in the air. When the cold defrosts, entire neighborhoods' homes slide into the mud and become weak at their foundations. For them, spring is terrible due to flowing and muddy water. The neighborhood of Zalozhnaya, where Ryszard visits, represents an entire city of poverty in contrast to its natural riches.

Ryszard's hotel is miserable and cold. In the morning, no one speaks at breakfast. A fight randomly breaks out, without warning or reason. The...