I Am Pilgrim

Murdoch finds local laborers willing to assist in the transportation of the mirror, with the help of his hotel manager. The work proceeds smoothly until Murdoch is abruptly summoned to the library to examine the now-bare walls where the mirrors hung. They depict swastikas, and Murdoch immediately thinks of his trip to the concentration camp with Bill. Over lunch, Murdoch discusses the history of the house with the disturbed men. They tell him that it used to be known in French as “The Waiting Room” and that it was built immediately after World War II by a German woman. The nearby beach is named after the German architects. Murdoch ponders whether the prior occupants were “waiting for a ship” but leaves for Italy before he can confirm his theory (340).

Though there are moments when the cause seems hopeless, the Uffizi technicians eventually isolate the shape of a person, proving that Dodge was not alone during the fireworks. Murdoch calls Cumali and promises to send her the evidence, and notices that she is “unable to keep the defeat out of her voice” as she accepts the news (347). Cumali finally asks what led him to suspect the case was murder, and Murdoch explains: Only someone Dodge knew could have convinced him to go look out over the cliff, likely with news that Cameron’s helicopter had crashed. From Bradley, Murdoch learns the likely date of the bioterrorism attack—Columbus Day, but also the day his mother died.

The narrative switches to al-Nassouri, who successfully passes through customs in Germany without incident. Murdoch recalls that Europe’s growing Muslim population—driven by the demand for migrant labor—means that al-Nassouri could easily find a mosque and a community to join. He does exactly this, posing as a refugee in the town of Karslruhe. He gets a job with Chyron Chemicals, which also manufactures drugs for the American market, leading Murdoch to remark “the heartland of America was only as safe as an anonymous factory in a city hardly anybody had ever heard of” (354). Al-Nassouri is certain his victory is close, as drug shipments from Europe are inspected very rarely. He thinks of his Turkish contact with deep gratitude.

The narrative shifts back to Murdoch, arriving back in Bodrum and soon awash in memories. He drives along a cliff to avoid traffic, finding himself at a site of Roman ruins, a city destroyed centuries ago by an earthquake. A decaying tunnel leads to a former gladiatorial site known as the Theater of Death. Murdoch’s first visit there was for an assassination, a mission that went horribly wrong. After the mission, Murdoch drove an injured colleague to the house of an expatriate doctor, witnessing his death there. Murdoch suddenly recalls that he watched foreign news that night, proving that al-Nassouri’s contact could also have done so and spliced the materials for her calls.

Driving rapidly to his hotel, Murdoch asks the manager about satellite options and learns that most residents use a British company. When he realizes that company data will not help him identify illegal use, Murdoch finds himself consumed with rage and doubt at how little real evidence he has, especially compared to al-Nassouri’s ingenuity. He decides it is time to ask Whisperer for an update on the faint music audible in the background of the telephone calls. He is increasingly testy with Bradley, but his friend eventually forgives him. Murdoch asks for his own copy of the sound file.