Back at his ship in 1847, Gore tells his crew that he killed a man when he shot at what he thought was a seal. The man was a native of the region. Gore’s crew calls them "Esquimaux" (Inuit). Gore suggests leaving gifts of tobacco and steel knives by the body to assure the Inuit that they mean no further harm. A shout goes up from the men on deck, and the crew watches a party of Inuit moving toward the ships.

It’s September. The narrator helps Maggie practice to retake her acclimatization test. A conversation between Maggie and Arthur indicates that he’s now openly gay or bisexual and is adjusting to society’s acceptance of this. Graham introduces Cardingham to the narrator. Like Maggie and Arthur, she’s taken aback by his sexism. She senses that he hates her for being a woman with modern notions of equality. Maggie catches a cold and nearly dies because her body has no immunity to modern viral strains. She’s treated at the Ministry for nearly a week before being discharged. Arthur gets sick too, though not as severely. When the narrator catches it, Graham makes her soup and brings it to her in bed.