Chapter Sixteen Summary

The spider in Cincinnatus's cell has fed hungrily and is still looking for more. Cincinnatus is scraped up, but he's in one piece. Two of the prison employees have plastered the wall, closing off the tunnel. Cincinnatus still has the photohoroscope album of Emmie, which contains pictures of Emmie's face superimposed on photographs of other people. It documents her future life, up to her death at forty years old. Rodion takes away the album, since Emmie is leaving for school. He laments over her departure and note that Cincinnatus has stopped asking when the executioner will arrive.

M'sieur Pierre comes into the cell with Rodrig Ivanovich and Cincinnatus's lawyer. They sit down at the table. Cincinnatus paces and finally sits. The lawyer takes out a pad and pencil to take notes. Pierre takes a drink of water and then begins to...