On the night Ludo meets his father, he initially considers sleeping outdoors but ultimately decides to sleep on his mattress upstairs. His thoughts shift from Inuit studies to an interest in aerodynamics, so he packs books on the subject and heads to the National Gallery. While immersed in reading about aerodynamics, he hears his father express appreciation for his reading but remains engrossed in the subject. Ludo explores the gallery, contemplates a painting by Lord Leighton, and eventually returns home. Back at home, he discusses his father briefly with Sibylla, and the conversation veers into Sibylla’s past considerations about abortion and her experiences with counseling. Sibylla tells Ludo about Hugh Carey, “an explorer,” and Raymond Decker, a classicist at Oxford. Ludo expresses curiosity about their stories.

Sibylla tells Ludo the men’s stories. Hugh Carey and Raymond Decker first cross paths when Carey, originally from Edinburgh, applies to take an exam for Oxford at the age of 15. Meanwhile, Decker, aged 19 at the time, is a self-taught scholar deeply influenced by “Plato’s Gorgias” (267). They engage in discussions about their concerns regarding the upcoming exam. Decker stresses the importance of having sufficient time to address the most engaging questions, even if the rest appears trivial.