The Diamond Eye

Eleanor recalls a moment of affinity between Mila and President Roosevelt that unnerves her, when they agreed that Hyde Park feels safer than elsewhere. This leads Eleanor to wonder if Franklin is concerned about an assassination attempt similar to the ones from earlier in his political career.

The narrative resumes from Mila’s perspective as she, Kostia, and Eleanor ride in a secure limousine to Chicago. Mila is concerned because the threatening letters continue to appear wherever she goes. In Russian, she asks Kostia if he went to New York to meet his family. He confirms that he did, but he says little else. When Eleanor points out the beauty of the plains and the Great Lakes, Mila points to American social problems, such as racial segregation and poverty. Eleanor agrees that there is much to be done to improve the country. Mila jokes that Eleanor is unusually industrious for a woman of her class, and Eleanor responds, teasingly, that Mila’s humor also runs counter to stereotypes about Russians.

The narrative resumes from the anonymous American sniper’s point of view. He is irritable and tired from following the motorcade.