The chapter opens with Hiroshi's description of his father's visit to the island. He tells us that his step-father must have made the trip many times, too. Hiroshi says that the island is "creepy" and that he'd like to bring a "swamp" with him so that he can "see" it. He also says that living in a disconnected state is one of the "fundamental precepts" of Aterui society. One of his coworkers happened to pass through the island, and he's sad to hear that he was found dead. He says the beauty of bodies is that they are "in their imperfection" . The rite of passage, he says, allows souls to be "freed from mechanical vessel" so that they can finally make their way to the "world beyond . .