Summary

In Chapter 24, Ralph begins hacking at the swordfish on the patio for dinner, and Marc wonders if he will cut off a toe. Neighbors begin to shoot off fireworks, as it is a formal holiday, and Ralph tells Alex and Thomas that he has purchased and hidden fireworks in the shed. The first firework they launch shatters Emmanuelle’s wine glass. They decide they will go to the beach: everyone leaves except Emmanuelle, Caroline, and Vera.

Chapter 25 describes Marc and Stanley’s drive down to the beach together. Stanley describes how, after September 11, he had been invited to the White House with a number of other directors, and drank with the president while surmising about potential future disasters. They are taking a dark and winding road to the beach, when they are suddenly swiped by another car. Although Stanley is drunk, he insists...