The chapter opens with a description of the death of a famous singer named sasha, who was nominated for nine awards and would have won eight of them if he had lived. The narrator compares the death to the size of his fist, burning to death, or drowning. He tells the singer that he looks like a "princess" and asks her if she would like to become a singer, too. She replies that she does not need to wear a mask, as she is a "natural at deceiving people" . She asks the narrator why he asked him that. The card represents a "totsome burden" , and it is a sign that a person needs to "light their load." The narrator says that he knows why she ran away, but he still wants to know if she was sincere in her feelings for him. He adds that he will probably go back into the "alley scum" again. He asks her to put all the beads she has collected into a box and place them in it. Each time she puts another bead in the box, she will be able to "see another truth" about herself.