The narrator tells us that the world is full of life, but that many animals are at risk of being killed off because of it. He says that he's been invited to the zoo to see the gray wolf and the auk. He's always wanted to meet them, but he doesn't want to waste their tissues. He also says that the future of the world will change because of the zoo. The narrator says that meeting with his editors is going to be a lot of fun. He wants to know what if they get into a fight with a girl from school? The girl is obnoxious, he says, and he wants her to stop messing around with him. The girl gets snippy when he tries to help her with glasses. He tells her that she's probably anemic, and she says that's because he looks so tired. He decides to go out and get some fresh air. He wonders if he'll be toast if the zoo gets out of hand. He thinks that the zoo is a chimera, a kind of alien that uses animals to fight off its enemies.