Part 1, Chapter 5 Summary

Chapter 5 treats the odd fate of Camoens da Gama following his wife, Belle's, death. Psychosomatic scratch marks appear on his body, the result of making love in his dreams with Belle, further convincing him (beyond Aurora's pranks) that her spirit haunts the house. Aires, angered by the disappearance of his beloved ivories and Ganesha statues, assembles the household staff to determine who the thief is. He engages his penchant for cruel name-calling and physical abuse until Aurora can no longer abide the injustice. She steps forward, not only to confess her sole guilt, but also to claim her late mother's preeminence in the household.

She is punished for her impudence by a week's detention in her room. She uses the time to paint a vast mural on every wall and the ceiling, unifying her family's history - past, present, and future...