Summary

In Chapter 7, more people who patronized Anders' gym began to change color, resulting in an increasingly tense atmosphere. The dark-skinned cleaning man seemed especially vulnerable to Anders. One day, two patrons got into an argument and then went outside and exchanged blows. The other patrons watched, neither discouraging them nor cheering. A few days later, Anders woke in the morning with Oona beside him. She asked how afraid he was of dying and he responded by telling her about his mother's death, and how she had been so sick that she welcomed it at the end. She told him about her father's sudden death and her brother's slow decline as he became increasingly, irrevocably addicted to drugs. Oona watched Anders cook omelets for breakfast, delighting in the careful attention he paid to the food and to her.

The following evening, the town was...