The Anomaly

On June 29, Victor Miesel visits the cliffs where the ashes of his counterpart were scattered. His editor, Clémence Balmer, gave a heartfelt speech at the time in Victor March’s memory, and now she—along with a policeman and appointed psychologist—watches Victor June with concern. Victor June, however, is not suicidal at all. He read The Anomaly that morning and “couldn’t find himself in it” (319). He doesn’t understand its success.

At lunch, Clémence and Victor June reflect on how weird it is that he saw her only “last week” (317), and yet she has been grieving him for two months. They discuss whether and when to announce that he is alive, and Victor learns that his distant friends and his ex-girlfriend Ilena have been lying about their connection to him since Victor March’s death. Because his counterpart died, Victor June no longer has access to his accounts or his home, but he does have the stuff Victor March had on him when he died, including the red Lego brick; now he has two.

On June 30, Clémence puts together a press conference for Victor’s return and asks Victor not to clown around in front of the cameras. Journalists ask Victor a series of questions, and Victor responds to each with wry quips.