White Noise

Since the Airborne Toxic Event, the sunsets in Blacksmith are more beautiful than ever. At the supermarket Murray tells Jack that his rival in the Elvis studies field, Dimitrios Cotsakis, drowned on vacation in Malibu, clearing the way for Murray. At the end of the chapter, Jack reveals that he still hasn’t told Babette about his exposure and diagnosis.

With the Hitler conference only a few months away, Jack increases the frequency of his German lessons with Howard Dunlop. Meanwhile, men in Mylex suits continue to roam the town with German shepherds, measuring toxicity levels. Heinrich dismisses concerns over chemical spills, arguing that the low but pervasive doses of radiation from TVs, radios, and microwaves are far more dangerous. While most of the potential symptoms of Nyodene D have subsided, deja vu remains prevalent within Blacksmith. Murray believes that when people experience deja vu, they are remembering premonitions of the future that their brains had repressed.

While attempting to fix the bathroom radiator, Jack discovers a bottle of Dylar taped to its underside. There are four pills left. Rather than confront Babette, Jack informs Denise of his discovery. Denise says none of the local pharmacies are familiar with Dylar.