Part 3 Chapter 26 Summary

The Collector recovers slowly, and the Magistrate continues to act as leader. The Magistrate realizes that his faith in social change and his belief in people has been eroded. When he is approached about holding an auction for food goods left behind by those who have died, he barely hesitates before giving his consent. Most of the community members are starving now, and when the auction starts they are so desperate that they put themselves in debt on future earnings in order to bid. At the auction, the prices are so exorbitant that only a few people can afford to bid. Most of the auctions are won by Rayne, who has been in charge of the food stocks and is the only person in the community who does not look starved.

Part way through the auction, the people realize that food...