Angle of Repose Part 4, Chapter 9 Summary

How It All Goes Down

  • In case you didn't already guess, Frank and Oliver are carrying Pricey. He doesn't die, but Susan can see that his mental faculties have been damaged greatly by the attack on him.
  • Susan tries to contact Pricey's family in England, but they don't seem very eager to bring him back home. They just want to pay someone to look after him in America.
  • Everyone is pretty depressed, which makes Susan realize in hindsight that Oliver should have definitely taken the job "on the Survey" (4.9.20).
  • One day, Susan, Ollie, and Pricey take a stroll to pick wildflowers. Pricey actually seems like he's getting better—he even rattles off the scientific names of flowers without realizing it.
  • Oliver returns a few hours later, followed by Frank, who's lugging a mandolin. They spend the evening singing songs on the porch and having a grand old time.
  • Susan can tell that Frank is crushing on her pretty hard by now. Although she knows that she must be faithful to Oliver, she has to admit that "his adoration made her feel excited" (4.9.57).
  • Just then, Ollie begins shivering—his fever has come back with a fury. This time, it'll stick around for several weeks.