"The sweetest man dash" is the title of this chapter's epigraph. It's a quote from the play's opening scene, in which Shylock asks Shylock what he's been up to. Shylock tells him that the ceo has been bitten by his father, and that he has cut off all the scents in his own body to stop them from spreading. He tells Shylock that he can't do anything about it, because the smell of his father's body is so strong that it's going to kill him if he doesn't act quickly. He says that he'll take care of it himself, but that Shylock needs to go after his father first. He's afraid that if he does, the boy will be eaten up by the scent of his own father, so he tells his brother to hurry in and get help for him. He also tells him not to tell anyone about what's happened, because it'll only make things worse for Shylock. He asks if there's any place where he could lie down, but his brother says that there is, and then he faints. He tries to find a place to hide, but no one will listen to him, because his blood is "like crazy" . He swears that he won't leave until he can suck the smell out of his body.