On a visit to Gloucester, the narrator, Maximus, is suddenly struck by a memory of having visited once before with his (ex?) wife and son. He had only been married a year before they came to Gloucester on a trip. There his wife had met this man who turns out to be the very librarian who is tending to Maximus. In a rage, he leaves the shop. Walking along the docks, he witnesses a man being brutally beaten to death by a group of men. He soon becomes consumed with a disgust for Gloucester, determining to leave as quickly as possible.
Maximus, to Himself
Maximus finds himself musing about his faults and strengths during a solitary moment aboard his ship one day. He recognizes that he struggles with simple, animal things such as coordination, but he knows that he has an uncommon predisposition to excel at more intellectual pursuits. Thinking to himself, he begins to question whether or no all the men around him have had similar realizations. He concludes that nothing can ever truly be known since we are all subjects of a subjective experience.
As the Dead Prey Upon Us
The narrator is trying to mend his car which has been sitting, needing repair for a long time now. As he works on the car, he tries to make sense of his grief over losing his mom. He still sees her, every week, seated in his living room like she used to visit. Neighborhood children gather round her to find comfort. Though the narrator knows he's imagining the scene, he can't help but be puzzled by it. He cannot allow himself to let go of her memory, despite its painful injustice. Finally, he pushes the car to the back corner of the yard and looks up to see the neighbor and her son playing in the yard. Reality comes crashing back in on him, and he convinces himself that his mom must be at peace. Consequently, he orders himself to let go of the old broken-down car and find peace for himself.
