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Chapter seven

Flashback to 1941. One day, Larry finds Francis sitting outside the Wreck Centre feeling a bit depressed because he feels that he is no good at anything. Larry tells him that he has an idea, based on having watched Francis do callisthenics. He thinks that he has the perfect sport for Francis. Larry tells him to come back three days later, and when he does so, he sees that Larry has rearranged the centre. Now there are two ping-pong tables there. Francis is disappointed, but Larry tells him to call it table tennis, because ping-pong is just a game whereas table tennis is a sport.

Larry teaches Francis how to play, and after an hour he says that Francis is a natural. Francis is so happy because Larry has praised him and he begins to practise for hours on end, improving all the time. Francis always hopes that Nicole will be watching, and one afternoon, as he defeats Joey LeBlanc, he looks into the crowd and sees her watching him. She blows him a kiss. Francis’ feelings for Nicole grow deeper. He experiences jealousy for the first time as he watches her dancing with Larry.

One weekend in December, Larry announces that there will be a double-header, which is a table tennis tournament on the Saturday followed by a musical show on the Sunday. Larry says that he expects Nicole to be the star of the musical and Francis to be the star of the tournament. He hints that Nicole and Francis are his favourites. On the Saturday morning, Francis manages to tell Nicole that he loves to watch her dance, and she replies that she loves to watch him play. She invites Francis to an after-show party at her home the next day. Francis is torn between happiness about this and jealousy about her friendship with Larry. The tournament takes place. Francis wins all the qualifying rounds, always checking to see if Nicole is watching. Eventually, Francis is victorious and receives the trophy from Nicole.

At the moment of Francis’ triumph, Joey LeBlanc calls out that Larry had better watch out as Francis could beat even him. The crowd calls and cheers until Larry and Francis are almost forced to play a match. This is when Francis realises that two games are taking place – the one the audience is watching, and the other one, which he realises is Larry allowing Francis to win. Larry is doing this to make Francis understand that Larry is always in control of him. Francis does not enjoy his victory once he knows that Larry could have beaten him, but nobody else realises this. Nicole whispers to Francis that he is her champion. The following day would be the 7^th of December, 1941, the day that the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Chapter eight

1945. Francis finds Arthur Rivier in the alley, drunk. He shows his true feelings, saying that he is upset because all the returned soldiers talk about their future plans but they never talk about what happened to them in the war. He cries to Francis that he does want to talk about his experiences.

He calls it the scared war and says that he was once so frightened in the middle of a battle that he soiled his pants. Francis reassures him that everybody was scared, but Arthur continues bitterly, saying that none of them is a hero, as it said in the newspapers, they were just there. Francis notes that Arthur no longer seems drunk. As their friends come and carry Arthur away, Francis feels sorry for all the boys who went to war, including himself.

Chapter nine

Flashback to 1941/1942. Francis tells how Larry LaSalle is one of the first men from Frenchtown to join the forces after the attack on Pearl Harbor. After this, a steady stream of men enlist in the army, the air force, the marines and the navy. Francis hears a rumour that the factory where his Uncle Louis works, the Monument Comb Shop, is producing secret materials for the war, and he feels excited. He still thinks of war as an adventure at this point. War fever sweeps through Frenchtown; there is a marked absence of young men, and women are also joining the forces. Francis is given a job in Mr Laurier’s drugstore, earning $2.50 a week.

Nicole starts to come to the drugstore now and again, and her friendship with Francis grows. He plucks up the courage to ask her to go to watch a film with him and is stunned when she accepts, although she will not let him pay for her. After this, they go to the cinema on a weekly basis, watching the special matinee performances for children. They see newsreels about the way the war is progressing, but it all feels far away. One day, in the dark of the cinema, Nicole allows Francis to kiss her.

On the way home they talk without any shyness or awkward pauses. She asks him what he wants to do with his life, and he tells her of his love of reading. She suggests that perhaps he could write a book. He asks her the same question and her answer is that she wants to do a lot of things because the world is so big. They remember how the party after the musical ended so suddenly because of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which made everybody feel that the world was no longer a safe place. The war continues; one day Nicole rushes into the drugstore to tell Francis that Larry LaSalle has saved the lives of an entire platoon. The following Saturday they see him on the news, being awarded the Silver Star medal.

Chapter ten

1945. Francis explains how he came to wear the scarf and bandage over his face. When he was in hospital in England he was given a three-day pass to London. He went to Baker Street because he wanted to see where Sherlock Holmes had lived, even though he knew Holmes was only a character in a book. He remembers that a small boy caught a glimpse of his face and cried out in fear. It took Francis some time to realise the cause was his own face. He wondered why nobody had warned him that this might happen. His friend Enrico gave him the white silk scarf. He describes how his face is healing, although he now looks like a stranger to himself.

However, he says that he does not care whether he heals or not. He impulsively burns the piece of paper with the contact details of Dr Abrams, deciding that he will never need reconstructive surgery as he plans to kill himself after accomplishing his mission. He looks forward to Larry’s second homecoming to Frenchtown, thus preparing the reader for the account of Larry’s first homecoming during the war.

Chapter 11

Flashback to 1942/1943. Francis describes how a huge crowd gathered at the train station to wait for Larry LaSalle to come home on furlough. Francis describes how he was impatient for Nicole to join him – she was late because of her voluntary work. Larry arrives, wearing his ribbons and medals, but Francis notices that he seems different. His body has become fitter and harder, and he looks exactly as one would imagine a fighting marine to look. Nicole blushes as Larry greets her, and Francis notices that Larry is only interested in Nicole at that moment.

The Mayor makes a speech in which he praises Larry and all the other people from Frenchtown who are fighting for freedom. Larry accepts the praise modestly and invites some of the teenagers to be his guests at the celebratory dance being held that night at City Hall. Francis and Nicole are impressed by the glamour of the evening. Larry announces that he has a surprise for the young people and they all walk across town to the Wreck Centre. He tells them that he has arranged for it to be opened up for one special night. They play music and the boys play table tennis. The girls dance. Eventually only Francis and Nicole are left with Larry. Larry instructs Nicole to find the record, Dancing in the Dark, and while she is searching, he tells Francis to go home.

When Francis says that he does not mind staying, Larry becomes more insistent, saying he wants one last dance with Nicole. Francis would never dare to disobey Larry, so he starts to leave the room, even though Nicole asks him to stay and watch. He avoids her eyes, even though he feels a pang of regret. She runs to him and whispers in his ear, begging him not to go, but Francis does as he has been told by Larry.

He stops in the hallway, feeling miserable and jealous, but also that he has let Nicole down somehow. He hears a whimpering, comparing it to the sound of a small animal caught in a trap. The only other sound is the scratching of the needle on the record, as the music has stopped. Suddenly, Nicole bursts out of the room, her hair in a mess, her mouth swollen and tears running down her face. Her blouse is torn; she has obviously been raped by Larry. As Francis tries to approach her she raises a hand to stop him.

Francis comments that all that he can see in her eyes is his betrayal. She stares at Francis, unable to believe what has happened to her, and that Francis heard it all. She rushes out, leaving Francis standing there, feeling numb. As Francis stands against the wall in the dark, Larry walks out past him, whistling the song which had been playing. Francis is crushed, and notes that it is amazing that the heart makes no noise when it cracks.

Chapter 12

Flashback to 1942/1943. In the days after the rape, a heatwave hits Frenchtown. The weather is unpleasantly humid and Francis says that he hung around Sixth Street all the time, desperate to see Nicole. He watches her father leave for work in the morning and return in the evening, but there is no sign of Nicole. A small boy asks Francis why he is always there and whether he is the bogey man. Rumours circulate about Larry’s sudden departure. It is clear that he left immediately after his attack on Nicole to avoid any trouble. However, it also becomes clear that Nicole has not said a word to anybody.

After four days she comes out of her building but when she sees Francis she steps back. He tries to speak but can find no words, and Nicole accuses him of doing nothing to help her. Francis is unable to put his feelings into words and can only ask stumblingly whether she is alright. He is painfully aware that nothing he says can undo what has happened. Eventually Nicole tells him to go away and she returns indoors. Francis then describes how he went to the church later that week and hid in the confessional until the place was locked for the night.

He climbs up to the tallest steeple and emerges into the open air on the roof. He notices how close the stars seem to be. Francis considers killing himself. He wonders how long it would take to fall down to the street below. He prays the Lord’s Prayer but suddenly stops when he realises what he is planning to do. He decides that he could never disgrace his parents’ name by taking his own life. Frenchtown is a Catholic community and Catholics view suicide as a sin. He climbs down again and the following day he changes the age on his birth certificate to make him seem older, then leaves Frenchtown to join the army.

Chapter 13

1945. Francis learns that Larry has returned to Frenchtown. He overhears his landlady, Mrs Belander, chatting in French with her neighbour across their garden fence. They do not think that Francis can understand them, but he knows enough French to gather that Larry is living on the corner where Ninth Street and Spruce Street meet, in a second floor apartment, and that he has trouble walking. Francis feels that his mission can begin.