Cat's Cradle Chapter 85 Summary

A Pack of Foma

  • Frank's servants tell the trio that power failures are common in San Lorenzo. Isn't but a thing really.
  • John listens while Angela and Newt continue the conversation, but he can't concentrate. He excuses himself and asks Stanley for a copy of The Book of Bokonon.
  • Stanley insists that the book is filth and all who read it should be punished. Then he goes and gets John a copy.
  • With no index, John has to do some reading to find anything on zah-mah-ki-bo. He discovers an interesting mythology Bokonon invented.
  • In it, Borasisi, the sun, and Pabu, the moon, have children. But they aren't up to snuff, so Borasisi throws them away, creating the planets. When Pabu was then cast away, she decided to stay with Earth, her favorite child.
  • Bokonon ends his little mythology by reminding the reader that it's all foma or lies. Yeah, thanks for that heads up, buddy.