Summary

Two years after the events of “Ringolevio,” in 1973, Carney is approached by a film director named Zippo. Zippo, an up-and-coming blaxploitation director who also has a penchant for arson, wants to shoot a scene of his upcoming movie in Carney’s Furniture. Carney agrees to the arrangement, but regrets it when Zippo’s production team starts rearranging the store. Larry and Rusty, two of Carney’s employees, manage to land roles with the production team; Larry even gets a single line in the movie. Carney’s newest hire, a man named Pepper, contributes to the filming, too. The fact that the production team is mixed-race astonishes and disturbs Pepper, who generally refuses to work with white people. Carney invites Pepper, who is his senior, to dinner at his house; Pepper arrives with flowers for Carney’s wife, Elizabeth...