This chapter opens with a discussion between the professor and the student about the anatomy of birds. The professor tells the student that the bird dissection is equivalent to a murder. The student asks the professor why he didn't tell him about the rivalry between feathers and serpents before, and the professor tells him that he's afraid to dissect the bird because he'll be labeled a "monster" by the students. The students discuss how people remember things after traumatic experiences, and they wonder why the professor doesn't want the student to call him a monster.