Road of Trash Summary and Analysis

Desperate to avoid losing precious fluids by vomiting, Callahan drinks much of his reserve water. The gambit works. The nausea subsides and Callahan sleeps. The next morning, despite his continued weakness, he manages to catch a triggerfish. The meal gives him the strength to carry on. Callahan scrapes some sticky gum from the degrading remnants of his repair tape. He uses the substance to plug the hole in his solar still. The fix works perfectly. The solar still remains inflated. Nevertheless, Callahan prepares for the patch's eventual failure. He reasons that he might eventually have to hydrate himself with a saltwater enema.

Callahan creates a makeshift sextant by lashing together pencils. Navigating by the stars, he plots his likely course. If he drifts 18 degrees latitude, he will have to last another thirty days until he reaches the...