Chapters 19, 20 and 21 Summary

Nautilus, Iowa, springs up from miles and miles of cornfields and it is smaller than Zenith but just as energetic. Martin leaves Leora at a hotel and goes to his office to meet his boss, Dr. Almus Pickerbaugh, the Director of Public Health. Almost immediately, Martin's senses are offended by the ostentatious and overbearing Dr. Pickerbaugh who creates poems and verses for the health issues addressed by the health office.

Martin finds himself doing administrative tasks instead of laboratory-related work and he questions whether he has made a wise decision in moving to Nautilus. This mindset is further validated when Martin and Leora attend dinner at the home of the Pickerbaughs who regale Martin and Leora with poems, songs and theatrics for hours. The only saving grace of the evening for Martin is his tentative flirtations with the oldest Pickerbaugh daughter...