ˈæftɚ ðə dɪskˈʌʃən wɪð kɹˈɪstəs ænd tˈaʊnɹoʊz sˈʌbsᵻkwənt blˈækaʊt, ðə nˈɑːvəl bɪkˌʌmz mˈʌtʃ mˈoːɹ dɹˈiːmlˈaɪk ænd æt tˈaɪmz sɚɹˈiːəl, wɪð tˈaʊnɹoʊ ɐ vˈɛɹi ˌʌnɹᵻlˈaɪəbəl nˈæɹeɪɾɚ hˌuː kænˈɑːt ɹᵻmˈɛmbɚ hɪz nˌæʃənˈælᵻɾi ðˌoʊ hiː ɐsˈɜːts ðæt hiː ɪz ˈaɪɹɪʃ æz pˈɑːɹt əvə skˈæm hiː tɹˈaɪz tə ɹˈʌn ˌɔn mˈɪsɪz kˈaʊɚɹi nˈɔːɹ wˈɛðɚ hɪz mˈʌðɚɹ ɪz ɐlˈaɪv.
After the discussion with Christous and Townrow's subsequent blackout, the novel becomes much more dream-like and at times surreal, with Townrow a very unreliable narrator who cannot remember his nationality (though he asserts that he is Irish as part of a scam he tries to run on Mrs Khoury) nor whether his mother is alive.