Mary Ann stops by Mona’s apartment before attending Mrs. Madrigal’s dinner. Mona offers Mary Ann coke, and Mary Ann mistakenly believes she is talking about the beverage. Mona racks up a line of white powder and encourages Mary Ann to snort it through a food stamp. Mary Ann refuses and leaves for dinner abruptly.

At Mrs. Madrigal’s apartment, Mary Ann finds two plates of hors d’oeuvres: one contains stuffed mushrooms, the other contains joints. Two other guests arrive: a “fiftyish, red-bearded” (42) poet named Joaquin Schwartz and a woman named Laurel, who has unshaven armpits. Laurel believes that “‘The Media” (42) killed the 1967 hippie movement. At one point, Mary Ann is in Mrs. Madrigal’s bedroom and spots a photograph of a young soldier. Pointedly, Mrs. Madrigal states that there has never been a Mr. Madrigal. Mary Ann mourns her inability to find love. 

Edgar visits Ruby Miller’s house. He holds a brief but friendly conversation with Ruby’s husband before she leads him into the garage. There, as Edgar nervously hurries her along, she lays him down on a ping-pong table, begins to rub his temples, and repeats a mantra: “‘Heal him, Jesus! Heal thy servant Edgar. Heal his failing kidneys and make him whole again’” (45).