The narrative flashes back to an incident in Hank’s childhood when Hank found three bobcat kittens in a briar patch and took them home. Henry helped build an elaborate cage for the kittens, but then the riverbanks flooded and the kittens drowned. When Hank discovered the tragedy the next morning, he acted as though the loss did not bother him, but later wondered if his hatred of the Wakonda stemmed from it.

Back in the present, as soon as Lee arrives at the Stamper home, he asks himself why he has come back. In the house, the family is eating, but Viv is upstairs. Henry is excited to see Lee, but Hank tells Henry to leave Lee alone because he is tired from the journey. Lee meets Jan, wife of Stamper cousin Joe Ben. The family fixes a plate of food for Lee, who takes it upstairs to his old room and lies down. Hank goes to Viv’s room. She is thinking of going to a church event, hoping to socialize with other women. Viv feels isolated and longs for friendship.

The omniscient narrator shifts focus to describe other people in town.