Part 3, p. 43 - 60 Summary

The Present - Riding on the ferry, Helen is surprised at how vague and distracted Marina seems. When Marina starts worrying about where Dmitri is, Helen goes to find him, eventually discovering him looking out at the passing water. Helen's questions about Marina's condition lead to an argument about whether it's time for her and Dmitri to move into a retirement community, with Dmitri angrily saying he doesn't want to move into a "death camp". They return to Marina, who says she has been wondering about Tanya and Misha. Conversation and narration reveal that Marina lived with them and her aunt and uncle (Viktor and Nadezhda) during the Siege while Dmitri was off fighting, at one point taking refuge in a cellar with hundreds of other people. Further narration reveals that neither Dmitri nor Marina ever discussed their experiences...