Part 4 — Chapter 6

Summary

• The chapter's narrator waits three weeks without hearing from his sister, Zoey, and in desperation goes to her office at the Time Institute on an off day from his hotel job.
• Unable to reach her, he waits until almost six o'clock and speaks to one of her coworkers, Ephrem, a man he has known since childhood as an arborist.
• Ephrem reveals he actually works at the Time Institute and has done so for about seven years, suggesting a sense of secrecy about his role.
• Despite initial hesitation, Ephrem invites the narrator up for a tea in his office, where Zoey eventually joins them.
• Upon departing, Ephrem warns of the dangers of spreading information about classified projects at the Institute, since Zoey apparently told the narrator about them before they became classified.
• Ephrem discusses the Time Institute's role in investigating timeline anomalies, implying that his work can be stressful and complex.
• Zoey remains mostly silent, exuding her apparent anger at the narrator's visit and become even angrier when he indicates a desire to work at the Institute.
• Despite Zoey's resistance, Ephrem approves of the interest the narrator has in their work and ensures to set up an interview.
• The conversation suggests that the Time Institute might be tied to theories of time travel or simulation, inspiring a sense of fascination and concern in the narrator.
• Despite his sister's gloomy attitude, the narrator feels positive about the prospect of a more exciting job at the Time Institute.