Chapter 4 Summary

August winds blow garbage from the camps and industrial sites into the air. People dig through piles of garbage, looking for anything of value. The air fills with fine dust. Passing cars make it worse. It's a very harsh environment. It is still winter and becomes cold at night.

A pair of men comes to the compound and asks for a man named Solomon. Izak watches them. The men tell Solomon that his brother needs him. Solomon questions the men for several minutes, but then he reluctantly rises from bed and follows them out into the night.

The next morning, Jacobus finds Solomon in a nearby field. He is beaten badly and stripped naked. On first glance, Jacobus thinks Solomon is dead. On closer inspection, he sees that, although very cold, Solomon is breathing. They take him to the hospital and inquire at...