Chapter 16 Summary

In the morning, David rises before the sun and goes to the writing room. He spends all morning crossing the African desert. By half past ten, he has reached the river where they will make their camp. He leaves the travelers butchering fresh meat and puts his pencils and notebooks away. He finds Marita in the garden reading. Catherine has gone into Cannes and left orders for Marita to take David swimming. First, she feeds him breakfast. They make love in the water.

Catherine returns with hair that has been rebleached, even lighter than before. She insists on martinis with lunch, and afterwards she naps while David and Marita swim. When they return, a sober Catherine declares she is going to stop drinking and start reading and studying Spanish again. She wants David to love Marita and to marry her as well as...