Chapter 21

Summary

• The chapter recounts a journey undertaken by Evar, who begins in a library where he leads a monotone life of solitude.
• Evar jumps into a pool in the library, clutching a book and carrying metal objects in hope that they will enable him to escape his existence.
• He survives the dive, although much deeper than he has gone before, and finds himself in a new environment full of nature and far removed from the library.
• Evar discovers his own shadow and the wonders of the green, natural world around him, luxuriating in the change in both texture and color from the library.
• He notes pools of water, lined in a grid pattern, scattered about the landscape. He marks the pool from which he emerged with his knife to ensure he can find his way back to the library.
• Adopting a methodical approach, Evar begins to explore the other pools. He leaves his book with the first pool, anxious not to ruin it, despite his lack of intention to return to the library.
• As he moves from pool to pool, Evar wrestles with dreams and memories that he finds difficult to comprehend or remember in detail. These memories include those of a woman who seems familiar to him, although he cannot recall precisely who she is.
• Evar stumbles upon a pool that is vastly different from the others, which strikes a dark void. He watches in shock as a white hand emerges from the water, its owner struggling to break the water's surface.
• Though initially fearful, Evar overcomes his anxiety and reaches towards the hand, determined to save the person trapped beneath the water’s surface, possibly the woman he's been partially remembering throughout the chapter.