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Summary: Part 1, Section 3

From the arrival of the Cootings Machine to the end of Part 1

A couple days later, a twelve-year-old girl enters the store, and Klara can tell the girl is interested in her. The girl tries to interact with Klara, who refuses to play her role and instead ignores the girl. The girl tells her father she wants to take Klara home, but Manager, recognizing Klara’s reluctance, tells the father about the new B3 AFs that have just come in. This successfully leads the pair away from Klara. After the father and daughter have purchased a B3, Manager approaches Klara and warns her against trying to choose who she gets to go home with. Klara apologizes, and promises not to do it again. 

The new B3s are put on display—three boy AFs—and Klara and Rosa are moved to the other side of the store. Before long, both Rosa and Boy AF Rex are bought and shipped off, leaving Klara to observe the new arrivals on her own. She discovers that, despite the warm welcome given to them by the older boy AFs, the new B3s are mean, purposefully moving themselves away from the older AFs to emphasize their own newness. 

Klara is given another turn in the window, by herself, and during this time she witnesses what she believes to be a miracle. The homeless man across the street, who she calls “Beggarman,” and his dog lie down on the ground on a foggy, dark day. Klara is sad, thinking they have died, but finds the next day that they have been brought back to life by the sunlight. She believes the Sun has saved them. 

When her time in the window is up, Klara is moved to the rear alcove of the store. She doesn’t mind it, but has a hard time seeing and being seen by customers that come in. One day, she recognizes Josie’s voice in the store, though Josie does not see her.  Manager attempts to sell Josie and her mother on one of the new B3s, but Josie is adamant in wanting Klara. Eventually Manager figures out whom Josie is after, and brings the two to where Klara is standing in the back. Josie rejoices upon seeing Klara, and asks her mother if they can buy Klara immediately. The Mother begins testing Klara by asking her questions about Josie—what pitch her voice is, what color her eyes are, etc. She also asks Klara to imitate Josie’s walk, which Klara does perfectly. When the Mother is finished, she agrees to buy the AF for Josie.

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