A Handful of Dust

Tony is aboard a ship sailing to South America. A man paces up and down the deck to pass the time. When he stops to talk, Tony explains that he is “looking for a city” (160). The other passengers come to view Tony as an “explorer,” though he doesn’t yet think of himself as one. Two weeks earlier, Tony met a man named Dr. Messinger at his club. Amid the chaos of the divorce, Messinger’s descriptions of his imminent voyage intrigued Tony. By joining Messinger on the trip, Tony has extricated himself from the social scene in London and left behind the “poisoned” atmosphere at Hetton that reminds him of the son and wife he lost.

On the voyage, Tony thinks about the lost city that is Dr. Messinger’s objective. He knows very little about the legendary lost city, but thinking about it takes his mind off everything else. During the long voyage, Tony becomes acquainted with an 18-year-old woman named Therese. She is returning to Trinidad after being educated in Paris. Her father works as an official in Trinidad, and she will soon be married. With the “flowering of this romance” (172), the other passengers are entertained by the potential for gossip. Dr. Messinger does not approve of this relationship, which ends in Trinidad where Therese’s father meets her at the dock.

Dr. Messinger prepares for their expedition. They hire a team of local people to carry their supplies, and Messinger begins to draw up a map, carefully marking their “First Base Camp” (177). The noisy nights keep Tony awake, as do the insects. Soon, he is covered in “irritable little scars” (178). As they travel up the river, he thinks about the early days of his relationship with Brenda. He thinks of Hetton. Messinger is bitten by a vampire bat and tends to his wound. Meanwhile, in London, Brenda dances with Jock and complains about her struggles with money. She hopes that Tony is “not brooding.”

At a small village, Tony and Messinger recruit more local guides. Only one woman named Rosa speaks any English, and Messinger’s negotiations with her are difficult. The local men drink heavily and hunt; Tony and Messinger must wait for them to be ready for the expedition. Eventually, they are able to hire a team of 12, including Rosa. Their caravan sets off through the jungle. Messinger complains that the farther into the jungle they go, the more “meaningless” his map becomes.

In London, Beaver asks his mother whether she could hire the cash-strapped Brenda. Mrs. Beaver assures him that she cannot do so. Brenda is living as frugally as she can, and she suspects that Beaver blames her for his social ostracization. When Mrs. Beaver plans to travel to California on vacation, she insists on taking her son.

Tony, Messinger, and the locals travel about 15 miles each day through the Amazon rainforest. Messinger marks his map when they reach the Second Base Camp. Flies bedevil them during the day, and bats try to bite them at night. Their limited supplies prompt a system of “careful rationing” from Messinger, though he believes that the guides are stealing from his stores. Before traveling upriver, they must wait for boats to be made. When the canoes are ready, however, Rosa reveals that the locals will not travel any further, as they are on the border of disputed territory. No matter what Tony or Messinger offer, they will not agree to go any further. One night, the local guides disappear for good. In London, Brenda must ask Beaver to pay for any dates they go on.

Tony and Messinger set out by themselves in the canoes. They pack “the most essential of their stores” (201). During this time, Tony develops a fever. Messinger makes camp and tries to treat Tony intermittently, but quickly realizes that the fever is very serious. Delirious, Tony begins to see visions of Brenda. Messinger, realizing that his partner is hallucinating, makes a “Temporary Emergency Base Camp” (205). Tony’s hallucinations become more complex, including many people from his previous life. Messinger realizes that he must search for help. Taking one of the canoes, he searches for any sign of humanity. However, his canoe capsizes, and he is killed. At the camp, Tony has visions of Brenda and others. He speaks to them until he realizes that Messinger will not return. Surrounded by hallucinations, he ventures into the jungle.

In London, Brenda visits the lawyers. She asks for more money as she cannot live on her small allowance. The lawyer, however, tells her that he cannot make any financial changes without Tony’s consent, suggesting that Tony knew this when he left for the Amazon. Brenda asks about Tony’s will; though the lawyer cannot say anything specific, he suggests that Tony’s primary desire is for his estate—including Hetton—to remain in the Last family. Brenda leaves, assuming that she will not be able to get any money until Tony returns. Beaver seems to have abandoned her, and none of her friends are in town. She buries her face in her pillow “in an agony of resentment and self-pity” (211).