In the Skin of a Lion

Patrick is released from prison in January 1938. He travels to Union Station and remembers the time when Clara left him there. Upon returning to Toronto, he goes to see Nicholas. They remember Alice together. He reconnects with Hana, who asks about his time in prison. He hardly spoke during his time in prison—he “had protected himself with silence […] Secrecy kept him powerful” (212)—but he tells her he made one friend (Caravaggio).

The scene jumps to Ambrose Small’s final days. He is still in hiding with Clara. He has deteriorated mentally and speaks “as if what had kept all his diverse worlds separate had been pulled out of him like a spine” (213). In the moment of his death he is symbolized as a heron.

In the next scene, Clara calls Patrick at the apartment he shares with Hana. Clara tells Patrick that Ambrose is dead and asks him to come to Marmora to get her. He agrees and tells Hana he will explain who Clara is on the drive. This moment finally contextualizes the scene described in the Prologue.

The next section describes growing unrest among the workers on the waterworks project. It has reached such a fever pitch that Commissioner Harris sleeps in his office to protect the structure.

One night in July 1938, Patrick, Caravaggio, and Giannetta infiltrate a costume party at the Yacht Club. They assume false identities, pretending to be wealthy club members. Caravaggio ingratiates himself with a glamorous couple and manipulates them into inviting him, Patrick, and Giannetta onto their boat. Once they are aboard, Caravaggio and Patrick chloroform the husband and wife, rendering them unconscious. The three criminals then commandeer the ship.

Caravaggio navigates over to the waterworks. Patrick, equipped with a lamp and dynamite, dives overboard and swims through the tunnels to invade the structure. His journey and its complications—including severe injuries—are described in graphic detail, but he survives. He reaches the screen room and makes his way to Harris’s office. He imagines the destruction he is planning to cause: After detonating explosives at the pumping station, water will burst out, destroying the roof and then the floors and finally drowning the entire structure.

He confronts Harris, revealing that he once worked on the construction of the waterworks. He notes that Harris’s desk is made of feldspar, hearkening back to his father’s death in a feldspar mine. The two men talk at length. Harris tells Patrick that although Patrick considers himself an outsider, he is an integral member of this world: Although he lacks status, he has true power. Harris believes Patrick is irrationally “looking for […] a villain” (237).

Patrick asks Harris if he knew Alice Gull. Harris says he heard she “was killed by an anarchist” (238). Patrick finally recounts the story of Alice’s death: She picked up the wrong bag and was unwittingly “carrying dynamite with a timing device, a clock bomb” (239). Before Patrick could find her to warn her—in the very moment he called out to get her attention—the package exploded, killing her.

Harris is suddenly awestruck at Patrick’s genius and courage in swimming through the tunnels to break into this structure. After a period of silence, he realizes that Patrick is asleep. Harris arranges for the blasting-boxes to be defused. He gets medical attention for Patrick and allows him to be released in safety.

The scene returns to Patrick’s apartment where he and Hana are about to leave for Marmora. It becomes clear that the break-in at the waterworks occurred prior to this moment. As they hit the road, Patrick begins telling his story to Hana.