Little Brother Chapter 4 Summary

  • Marcus is reshackled and rehooded, then moved again. He realizes he's been put on a ship. He's terrified.
  • Like, he's seriously scared about leaving American shores. But the journey is short—though it feels like an hour, it actually only takes fifteen minutes (Marcus tells us this from his retrospective narrative position in the unspecified future).
  • When the hood's removed, Marcus finds himself in a cell. It's old and smells like the sea. He's alone, but hears other people shouting in the cell-block. He joins in. When in Rome…
  • The guards shout for everyone to be quiet, but everyone just yells louder. Could this be foreshadowing?
  • Hey, severe haircut lady is back. And she's got three big guys to help move Marcus, chaining his wrists and ankles together.
  • Interrogations suck. We're not quite to Guantanamo level, but they give Marcus a cup of water that he has no way of drinking. Punks.
  • Severe haircut lady threatens that this is as good as it gets, then tells Marcus they want him to unlock his phone. He's now a marked man and under suspicion.
  • If he unlocks his phone, she explains, he'll get outdoor privileges and a chance to shower. Marcus asks why.
  • Severe haircut lady tells him about the need for safety and security. He could have been on the bridge when it blew up. They need his help to stop the terrorists. Marcus tries to reach his phone, but can't. He realizes she wants him to just tell her the password.
  • Now we cut to Marcus-the-explainer explaining why he doesn't delete data. Like anything. He's got lots to say about why privacy is a good thing.
  • Phone open, he gets the privileges promised. They feed him half a pie from Goat Hill Pizza, a place Marcus knows well.
  • Marcus really wants to be free now.
  • They take the passwords for his USB keys next. Marcus gets outside time as a reward and sees Vanessa.
  • They hug, chat, and realize that neither of them knows what happened to Darryl or Jolu.
  • Guards come out and force Marcus to the ground, cuff him. That night no dinner or food comes. He's still in cuffs, so he ends up peeing on himself.
  • Now dirty and feeling ashamed, Marcus is taken back to severe haircut lady. She shames him more.
  • Marcus asks about Darryl, and she says she won't discuss who they have there and who they don't. Then she asks for Marcus's email passwords. He gives them everything.
  • The next day it's questioning time again. They say that with all the electronics he had on his person they "could put you away until you're an old man" (4.81).
  • Marcus doesn't believe them. He's just been practicing free speech. When did that become a crime?
  • Finally they're going to let him go. Score.
  • Then severe haircut lady asks him about the bombs on the bridge and their delivery mechanisms. Marcus says he has no idea what they're talking about.
  • Back in his cell, Marcus has some major esprit d'escalier, an expression for when you come up with all the snappy comebacks to something after you've left the room (4.96).
  • But the next day he doesn't use any of those eloquent speeches. Faced with a stack of documents, he's told they're through investigating him. For now. Marcus should realize he belongs to them and act accordingly.
  • Marcus asks what will happen if he doesn't sign the documents. They start to take them away. These people do not like questions. He signs everything. It's an endless stack with statements like he was voluntarily held and questioned. Marcus also promises to say nothing about what's happened.
  • Marcus gets his clothes back, goes back on the ship, and then on the truck. He gets all his belongings back, then steps down the three stairs to the alley and is grabbed by strong arms.
  • He almost cries. Is this all a cruel joke?