- Billy is muttering in his sleep, reliving his memories of the war.
- Lily whispers to Rumfoord that Billy scares her.
- Rumfoord replies that he finds Billy boring: all he does in his sleep is surrender and apologize and ask to be left alone.
- Rumfoord is a hyper-masculine, super-rich, all-around successful guy. He finds Billy utterly pathetic.
- Rumfoord then asks Lily if she has read President Harry Truman's announcement of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima in August 1945.
- Lily sits down and pretends to read it.
- The novel then quotes from Truman's announcement, which gives the reasons why Truman feels the atomic bomb is both necessary and scientifically remarkable.