Haňt’a describes the moments when his job becomes unbearable due to the damp, moldy, and foul-smelling wastepaper piled in his cellar. Despite these hardships, he cannot leave the confines of his cellar as fresh air makes him ill.

He finds solace in visiting other cellars and control rooms, where he interacts with educated men relegated to menial jobs. His friends, who are former academics, now work in the sewers and have turned their experiences into a sociological study, examining the flow of excrement and the habits of Prague’s inhabitants. They reveal a war between white and brown rats in the sewers, illustrating a never-ending cycle of conflict and dominance. This story reinforces Haňt’a’s understanding of life’s continuous struggle.

During his walks through Prague, Haňt’a reflects on the city’s architecture, seeing classical Greek influences in the city’s buildings, which remind him of Hegel’s philosophical concept of the battle for equilibrium. He envisions the rat wars in the sewers beneath him and contemplates the perpetual state of conflict even in the animal world.

Haňt’a reminisces about his youth, particularly his relationship with Manča (whose real name is Marie), a girl he danced with at village events. He recalls a humiliating incident when Manča’s ribbons, dipped in feces after she had gone to the bathroom, sprayed the other dancers after she returned to the dancefloor, earning her the nickname “Shithead Manča” (28).