Amsterdam

The narrative flashes back to the day before the press conference. Clive stands up from his piano after a night of work on his Millennial Symphony, contemplating his own potential genius. After sleeping through the afternoon, he resumes composing, struggling to resolve a crucial final variation for the piece. He again works late into the night.

Early the next morning, on Thursday, Vernon phones Clive, waking him up, and Clive is happy to make peace with one of his oldest friends. They agree to have a drink the following evening, and before Clive falls asleep again, he happily thinks that he will most likely be done composing the symphony’s finale by then. Later, Clive is awakened by a second, aggressive call from Vernon, who demands that Clive report the crime he witnessed in the Lake District to the police. Vernon threatens to report Clive himself if he fails to do so and then hangs up. Furious, Clive drinks heavily and muses on Vernon’s moral failings and sensationalist journalism. He writes a terse postcard to Vernon stating, “You deserve to be sacked” (149). Too drunk and angry to concentrate, he is unable to work.

The next morning, Clive discovers that his creative inspiration for the symphony has vanished.