Summary

Chapter 32 begins Section IV of the novel, in which the narrative returns to Curtis’s storyline in Las Vegas in 2003. Curtis is dreaming that he is walking away from his crashed Humvee, but the scenery does not match the actual scene of the accident. In his dream, he is walking along the harbor in Croatia. Someone he cannot see is leading him. At first, he thinks the person is Danielle, but then he remembers that he could not have met her yet. The voice guides him through twisting streets and various scenes that Curtis recognizes.

When he reaches the belltower, Curtis is alone. He can see a small group of gamblers throwing dice under the corpses of hanged men. He sees Stanley huddled over the dice. Stanley looks up and smiles at Curtis, and Curtis realizes that he is dead. Stanley offers the...