Alone on the ship, the narrator reflects on the changes that have taken place in the little town of Kotzebue. He wonders how anyone could have known that he was bringing his "baby" with him when he first arrived. The narrator says that it is hard to believe that such a small town has changed so quickly. He also wonders if the arrival of dogby is a sign that something is wrong with the project. He says that the project is of great importance to him and that he has banded together with the other experts in the area of extra-legal activity north of forty-seven parallel. He explains that he shares his ancestors' promise to live "free of the restraints" that society imposes on him and his fellow citizens.