Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

The Professor’s granddaughter tries to get the protagonist out of bed. He tells her about his injury, blaming her and her grandfather for getting him involved. When he asks for the whole story, she claims to only know that the narrator is the key, and the Professor says the thing inside him is the end of the world. Her grandfather changed after he invented shuffling and did not talk openly to her about his work.

The Professor’s granddaughter gets into bed with the narrator, explaining that she got lost looking for the supermarket. He is suspicious of her. She clarifies that she is bad at directions because she has never really gone anywhere. Her family died in an accident when she was six. After that, her grandfather took her in and home-schooled her. She had little contact with the outside world other than a nanny who also worked as their housekeeper. At home, she learned languages, how to play musical instruments, and tightrope walking. She thinks the narrator is interesting and asks him to play a Charlie Parker record. He tells her the stereo is busted. When she asks to touch him, he says no, reminding her of his wound.