Stranger in a Strange Land Chapters IX–XI Summary & Analysis

Summary

Note: These chapters begin Part Two, entitled "His Preposterous Heritage."

Chapter IX

The narrator describes occurrences all over Earth, in politics, fashion, commerce, migration, and other subjects.

Douglas has breakfast with his domineering wife, Agnes, who can sense that he is worried about something. She bullies him into admitting that Smith has gone missing, and that he cannot send the full police force after him without revealing that the "Smith" he has presented to the public is an impostor. They both fear that the real Smith will fall into the hands of a political organization called the Eastern Coalition. Agnes tells Douglas that he must insist that his "Man from Mars" is real, and that perhaps the real Smith should be killed. Douglas does not want to kill Smith, but he does not want to start an argument with his wife.

Agnes consults her astrologer, Madame Vesant. Agnes asks for horoscopes for herself, her husband, and for Smith. Vesant has some difficulty with Smith's horoscope because she has to recalibrate her calculations to take into account that he was born on Mars. She shares her findings with Agnes, who is pleased. Vesant calls her stockbroker and makes trades based on the inside governmental information she has just learned from Agnes. Agnes meanwhile makes major decisions and tells her husband to tell the press that Smith has been moved to a remote hospital in the Andes.

Chapter X

Jubal Harshaw, a famous lawyer, doctor, and author, sits by his pool, watching his beautiful secretaries—Anne, Miriam, and Dorcas—swim. He starts dictating a story idea about a wounded cat to Anne, and is interrupted by his assistant Larry telling him that a woman has arrived at the house carrying a corpse with her. It is Jill, with the still dormant Smith. She has brought him to Jubal's house because Ben had mentioned that Harshaw might be the only person both powerful and contrarian enough to help them protect Smith. Jill implores Smith, as his water-brother, to wake up, which he does.

At dinner, Jubal tells Jill that he has no interest in fighting for Smith's rights as his lawyer, but he is willing to take care of Smith, as any proper host should. As Jubal tries to sleep that night, he reflects on the trouble he is getting himself into by associating with Smith. He decides that he has to do the right thing and help Smith, so he immediately sets to learning everything he can about the case. He feels giddy at the notion of fighting the government.

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