disillusionment

Salim, a man from Oman, struggles with fear, alienation, and financial pressure during his first week in New York City as he attempts to secure orders for his brother-in-law's trinket business. He faces cultural dislocation, racial and ethnic anxieties, and the harsh realities of American urban life, culminating in a frustrating and humiliating experience waiting for a business appointment that never materializes. The chapter highlights Salim's isolation and the precariousness of his situation as an immigrant salesman in an unfamiliar and indifferent environment.

In this chapter, Gordon confronts the harsh reality that the symbolic hope represented by the machine 'Cyclops' and the idea of a Restored United States are failing to inspire effective resistance against the invading Holnists. Despite the sacrifices of the local people, the enemy's superior experience threatens to overwhelm them, and reinforcements arriving are only young boys, underscoring the desperation and dwindling resources of their cause. The chapter explores Gordon's internal struggle with disillusionment and the fragile nature of hope in a post-apocalyptic setting.