Saturday

Henry wakes up for the second time on Saturday, having fallen asleep after having sex with Rosalind. He thinks he hears a phrase being repeated over the radio in the bathroom saying, “There is grandeur in this view of life” (53). However, after he wakes up, he realizes that this was a phrase he read from Darwin and that he must have still been half-dreaming.

He dresses for his squash game while excitement builds for Daisy’s upcoming visit. Henry thinks of the items he will need to pick up for the fish stew he will prepare and also thinks of his relationship with Daisy. The two have a lovingly contentious relationship, often disagreeing because of their vastly different perspectives. Unlike Daisy, Henry feels bored by the imaginary when reality itself is so interesting and inexplicable.

At the window, Henry becomes distracted by two young individuals who are having an argument in the square. The girl’s compulsive scratching makes Henry think they must use drugs and are experiencing the side effects of use. Since the girl is close to his daughter’s age, he contrasts their fates and wonders at the random details of their lives that put them on such different paths.

On his way to play squash with Jay Strauss, his American colleague, Henry runs into the large gathering crowd of anti-war protestors, already displaying banners and chanting as they walk together. He thinks of the war, feeling certain that it will inevitably take place, despite the larger numbers of opponents and protestors. Henry’s opinion about the impending war has been shaped by his acquaintance with an Iraqi professor of ancient history who shared horrific stories of imprisonment and torture under the Iraqi dictatorship. This professor, Taleb, tells Henry, “[I]t’s only terror that holds the nation together, the whole system runs on fear’” (63) but believes that Americans will invade, forcing Saddam and the Ba’athists to flee. Because of this, Henry has studied the corrupt politics, the ethnic cleansing and genocides, and the oppressive laws in Iraq, and consequently feels that the invasion of Iraq might actually liberate suffering individuals.

Henry drives a Mercedes, which no longer makes him feel self-conscious. At first, he felt sheepish about such a display of wealth, but now takes pride in owning it. On the drive, he begins to feel more optimistic; the terror of seeing a plane crash and suspecting terrorism now seems foolish. Henry marvels over modern technology, modern medicine, and supermarkets. However, his reveries are interrupted when he comes to a street that has been closed for the march.

A police officer waves Henry through the street before moving on. While turning onto another street, he clips the wing mirror off another car that is trying to pass through the same narrow space. Both cars stop, and Henry feels overcome with anger at having been involved in a car accident and thrust into a series of inconvenient necessities. When he gets out of the car, he notes that there is no visible damage to his Mercedes. The three men from the other car get out and start walking toward him. Since the surrounding area has been barricaded for the march, the area is isolated, and Henry is left to face the men alone.

The owner of the vehicle introduces himself as Baxter, a man who is clearly agitated and appears “unstable.” His companions are Nark and Nigel, who stand in silence as Baxter demands that Henry follow him to an ATM and provide the money for the repair. Henry observes that Baxter may have a neurological condition because of his inability to move his eyes. Baxter runs at Henry and strikes him in the chest while his other two companions grab him. As the trio prepares to beat Henry, Henry tells Baxter that he has the same condition as his father, knowing the condition he believes Baxter to have to be genetically inherited.

After he learns that Henry is a doctor, Baxter orders his two comrades to go to the car and has a private conversation with Henry. He mentions Huntington’s Disease and reads Baxter’s silence as an acknowledgment that his diagnosis was correct. He tells Baxter that he could connect him with a professional who would offer him options to better manage his symptoms. Filled with sorrow and anger, knowing that Huntington’s Disease does not currently have a cure, Baxter shoves Henry again and goes to get his companions, who are waiting to resume the beating. Seeing his opportunity, Henry gets back in his car and leaves.

Finally, the chapter ends with Henry making it to his squash match against Jay. He tries to call his wife to hear her familiar voice, feeling on edge after his near-attack, but she is in a meeting. Before their game, the men talk briefly about the war. Jay is a passionate defender of the war, and Jay’s certainty makes Henry consider that the anti-war camp may be in the right. Despite their differences in opinion, Henry still values and respects his friend’s frankness and honesty.

Henry is an accomplished squash player, but he has begun to feel the aches and pains of his aging body and knows he will have to give up the sport eventually. At the start of the game, Henry is distracted by thinking of the plane crash, the incident with Baxter, and the myriad of other things in the back of his mind, and Jay is winning. Henry takes a break to get some water, thinking of nothing but how he must refocus and win the match. When he looks up, he sees the plane crash is being broadcast again on the news and is frustrated that his recreational time is being invaded by public discourse.

Back in the game, Henry fights hard for a comeback. He scores a winning stroke, but Jay immediately combats the point, calling for a let and saying that Henry was in his way. The conflict irritates Henry, who suddenly thinks of everything else he needs to do that day. Jay insists, so they play the let, and Henry loses the match. Both friends agree that it was one of their best games, make peace over their minor conflict, and go their separate ways.