- The Assistant Commissioner walks along a "short and narrow street like a wet, middy trench" (7.1) and eventually enters a public building, where he meets a young, fresh-faced male secretary. This secretary, who has the vibe of "a large and neat schoolboy" (7.2), looks at the Assistant Commissioner doubtfully and says that his boss probably won't be able to meet with him.
- When the A.C. says that he's come to talk about the bomb in Greenwich, the secretary finally agrees to go check with his boss. The AC gets admitted to the private chambers of a member of English parliament named Sir Ethelred, whom the narrator describes as "Vast in bulk and stature, with a long white face, which, broadened at the base by a big double chin, appeared egg-shaped in the fringe of greyish whisker" (7.8). (Yes, Conrad seems to have a real hang-up about fat people, which we discuss further in the "Themes" section.)
- The man from parliament wonders out loud if the recent attack is the beginning of a new wave of anarchist terrorism. The A.C. assures him that this isn't the case.
- The man shoots back that he was given a guarantee by Inspector Heat "less than a month ago" that no attacks could take place (7.13).
- The A.C. then tells Sir Ethelred about Verloc's involvement as a secret agent from the foreign embassy. Sir Ethelred agrees that this situation will require special treatment. Ethelred is red with anger over the foreign powers that mess with England in these backdoor ways.
- The A.C. says that they really need to seek out and get rid of secret agents, since these agents are more harmful than helpful to society. The A.C. then adds that instead of using Heat, he wants to get to the bottom of the case personally.
- He plans to visit Verloc and scare him into admitting something about what's going on. Ethelred gives the A.C. his blessing to figure out the case his own way. Parliament is working late this night, and Ethelred says that if the A.C. finds out anything, he should come straight back and tell him.
- The A.C. returns to the police station and finds out that Heat has gone home for the day, taking with him the most important piece of evidence in the Greenwich case. You'd never get away with that sort of thing in an episode of CSI, though.
- The A.C. sends off a note to his wife, saying that he won't be able to meet with her and Michaelis' great lady that night. He goes out into the wet London night and grabs a horse-drawn taxi. Then he rides it to an Italian restaurant and eats for a moment. Conrad takes a moment to talk smack about how unauthentic the Italian food in London is.
- After this section, the Assistant Commissioner walks to Brett Street in search of Verloc's shop. During this time, the narrator keeps getting drearier and creepier in his descriptions of London.
- The A.C. passes by another horse-drawn carriage, which seems to "merg[e] into one mass, seem[ing] [like] something alive—a square-backed black monster blocking off half the street" (7.102).
- The street takes on an appearance that's "sullen, brooding, and sinister" (7.102). This description shows the mounting tension of the plot's rising action, and it's a very characteristic tone for Conrad, who often writes about dark, wet, and dreary places.