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Nation Chapter 4 Summary

How It All Goes Down

Bargains, Covenants, and Promises

  • Half-asleep on the beach, Daphne spends a lot of time thinking about her pre-crash life.
  • When she wakes up, they try and have another meal together. This one goes a little better, even if it does give them gas and send them into fits of giggles.
  • After the meal, the parrot squawks, "Show us yer drawers!" (4.80) and the Grandfathers in Mau's head command "REPLACE THE GOD ANCHORS!" (4.85).
  • Mau decides to do the second one.
  • The god anchors are special giant stones that the tsunami tossed into the lagoon.
  • Mau retrieves the anchors for the god of Air and the god of Fire, then he sits around and hates on the gods a lot for letting all his people die.
  • Daphne breaks up the blasphemous pity party by trying to communicate with Mau.
  • By drawing in the sand and talk. ing. slow. ly. to. each. oth. er, they make some headway in understanding each other.
  • Suddenly, Daphne spots a canoe on the horizon.
  • A priest and a woman who just gave birth arrive on the island. The woman is too ill to nurse, and the baby is starving. 
  • Unfortunately, the priest, named Ataba, arrives just in time to hear Mau blaspheme the gods. He gives Mau the charming nickname of "demon boy" (4.253).