- Son sits on a stone wall facing the sea and watches a seagull tearing out the heart of a starfish. There's a grisly image for you.
- He is looking for Thérèse, and after looking for her at the local market he goes to her house. But no one is there.
- He walks back down a hill and asks at a local shop to ask for Gideon or Thérèse. They say something to him that he doesn't understand, so he just smiles and continues down the hill.
- After waiting and wandering, Son decides to head over to Isle des Chevaliers. As he walks, he sees some white German tourists trying to snap photos of a local black person. Son steps in their way and tells them to buzz off.
- Finally, he finds Thérèse selling smoked eels at the market. They catch up with one another and Son finds out that since getting sacked by Valerian, Gideon has been making money through the local taxi service.
- They go back to Thérèse's house and wait for Gideon to come back. When he does, Son tells him that he needs to find Jade. Gideon warns Son against doing this. Jade is nothing but trouble, along with a traitor to her race as far as Gideon is concerned.
- But Son won't budge. He demands a boat ride over to Valerian's island, but Gideon won't take him because the water isn't right. Finally, the blind Thérèse decides to take him herself. Gideon thinks they're both nuts, but they go.
- There is a thick mist on the water as nighttime falls. Son is certain that Thérèse doesn't know where they're going. But she insists that she knows the route by memory along. Finally, they bump against some rocks and Thérèse tells him they've reached the rear part of the island.
- Son doesn't want to land at this part of the island, since it's a ten mile walk over bad terrain to get to Valerian's house. But the tide is shifting and Thérèse needs to get back before she's stuck.
- Thérèse shoves away from shore and heads back into the mist, leaving Son on his own.
- He gets up and runs onto the island, not knowing where he's going or what he'll do if he reaches Valerian's house. We also don't know whether Sydney will make good on his promise of shooting Son when he sees him.
- The book ends by saying that Son runs onto the island "Lickety-split. Lickety-split" (C.120). The language is supposed to remind us of the original story of Br'er Rabbit and the tar baby, since "lickety split" is used to describe the speed at which Br'er Rabbit runs.