Part 1, Chapter 2 Summary

Zapp skips the medieval feast to dine with Hilary Swallow in her kitchen. Zapp finds his former lover fat and wrinkled, but he assures her that she is not. They talk about college-age children, and Zapp complains that his ex-wife, the rich, best-selling author Dysirye, is demanding that he pay the twins' tuition. Zapp claims to have given up sex. It only interferes with career. Hilary notes that Philip Swallow has a weakness for female students and has been blackmailed by one. The blackmail note was concealed in her exam on "Paradise Lost." Sutcliffe, Hilary believes, is the one who informed Hilary. Philip readily admits his indiscretion, but he claims that the girl seduced him. Hilary is unhappy, but she feels trapped by an inadequate education in a tough job market. Hilary feels stuck in the marriage because she placed no...