Summary

The next chapter is titled “The Dragon King.” Pearl continues to read The Hobbit, but she can now manipulate the book on her own rather than reading over someone's shoulder. Frankie's work is boring and she makes no friends. One day, Mr. Gilhooly's secretary is out and he calls on Frankie. She panics when he tells her to close the door, remembering the day Sister George beat her. She is so frantic that the woman in charge of the secretaries lets her go home early and writes it off as “female trouble.” Frankie does not want to go to the cramped apartment and she stops at a diner. Frankie is interested as a waitress named Nancy goes about her work. Nancy reveals she has a rented room over the hardware store that is simple, but is...