Conscience Does Make Cowards of Us All

Summary

• The chapter revolves around a character named Cameron who is working in a tourist aquarium. He wakes up from a fall to find an octopus escaped from its tank.
• Cameron tries to corral the octopus back into its tank using a broom handle, but the octopus is currently up on some shelves and doesn't seem responsive. Cameron gets frustrated as he was not warned that the aquarium creatures could escape.
• Cameron suddenly hears a woman's voice and turns around to see a small, older woman named Tova enter the space. She takes control of the situation, clearly knows the octopus (named Marcellus) and convinces it to return to its tank.
• Cameron helps Tova guide Marcellus back into the tank and it disappears inside its den. Tova then offers Cameron a bandage for his head, which he accepts.
• Tova introduces herself as the aquarium's cleaner, and a conversation ensues where it's hinted that she might not be able to return to work for longer than expected. Cameron misinterprets her situation, thinking she could be a burglar or a former marine biologist.
• Cameron finds himself sympathizing with Tova, who seems extraordinarily attached to her cleaning job and Marcellus. He agrees to keep Tova's secret visits and Marcellus' night excursions a secret, despite the potential risk to his job.
• After Marcellus is safely returned, Cameron muses on a quote from Shakespeare's "Hamlet," which Tova reveals was a favorite quote of her son's.