Nino takes refuge with his parents and deliberates what to do. Donato shouts at him and says he cannot come back to take some money and then disappear for a month. Frightened by Lila’s pregnancy, Nino thinks to ask Bruno for some money to go and study elsewhere, like Elena. However, while he en route to Bruno’s he changes his mind and takes the metro back to Lila, thinking to embrace her and “take her standing up, right away” (362).

His latest whim is apprehended by a man who shoves him violently and beats him up, making him promise to never see or touch Lila again. Nino pleads, but his attacker is relentless. In the end, Nino faints, “more out of fear than pain” (362). 

Antonio is Nino’s attacker. Michele Solara has sent Antonio to track down Nino and through him, summon Lila. Antonio attacks Nino to satisfy his own rancor that both Lila and Elena “liked the skinny, ugly bastard” (363). He then drags a dazed Nino to a pharmacy and asks Pasquale and Enzo to go and retrieve Lila. Enzo, who retains his childhood fondness for Lila, takes the address.