racial-memory

In this chapter, Danlo and Hanuman attend a lavish joyance hosted by Bardo, where Danlo encounters Tamara Ten Ashtoreth, a beautiful courtesan, and experiences an intense, almost mystical attraction to her. The chapter explores the social dynamics and tensions within the City, including Bardo's controversial attempts to influence the Society of Courtesans and the Order, as well as the interplay between spirituality, memory, and desire.

The chapter opens with Bard Lane driving through the New Mexico desert at night, reflecting on the harshness of the sun and the resilience of the native people. He is accompanied by Sharan Inly and a sleeping prisoner in the back seat, and they stop at a roadside bar where the atmosphere is lively despite the weariness of the travelers. The chapter juxtaposes the brutal natural environment and cultural memory with a contemporary, somewhat decayed society marked by media saturation and social unrest.