Marta uses real hair to create wigs. She believes that hair contains the thoughts of the person it grows from. Due to this, Marta tells the narrator that those who wear wigs must be brave and strong, to prepare to experience another’s thoughts. The wigs are life-like, and she shows the narrator how she makes them. Marta allows the narrator to try on a wig, and the narrator asks Marta for her own wig. Marta examines and measures the narrator’s head, making notes.

The narrator and R. can see the border of the Czech Republic from their home. They can hear the sounds of a village just across it, and often cross it themselves, wandering in the forest searching for mushrooms. They see animals cross the border, ignored by the border guards. They often see the border guards, who patrol a patch of land where raspberries grow. The narrator imagines their job is to protect them.

The narrator believes people are human through forgetfulness. She thinks there is a cosmic narrative that not only predates humankind, but will outlive them as well.