The City & the City: Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Borlú calls Corwi from his hotel room and describes the search of Mahalia’s room and computer, which didn’t turn up anything interesting. Yolanda’s room was filled with intriguing items, but her computer wasn’t there. Mahalia didn’t use notebooks, instead taking notes in the margins of the books she was reading. At the Ul Qoman police station, Borlú was made to hand over his gun. He and Corwi have devised a code system to communicate important updates about the case. Borlú had wanted to go to Bol Ye’an that day, but Dhatt says it’s not possible. Alone in his hotel room, Borlú reads a bit of Between the City and the City, then flicks through Ul Qoman television. He decides to go out into the night.

As Borlú walks through the busy nighttime streets, most Ul Qoman passersby double-take, assuming he is in Besźel from the way he looks before realizing he is walking in Ul Qoma. He hears the siren of a Besź policzai car and quickly unhears it. He walks to a spot that overlooks Bol Ye’an. He sees people walking around the site and security personnel guarding it. As Borlú looks, two militsya officers come over and ask what he’s doing. Borlú claims to just be “interested in archaeology,” but they don’t believe him and demand to see his papers. On seeing he is a police officer, their demeanor shifts to confusion. Borlú explains that he is assisting the militsya and that they can contact Dhatt if they have any concerns.

The militsya officers apologize and offer to escort Borlú back to his hotel. The next morning, Dhatt greets him in a friendly way, but as they drive off together he says, “I wish you hadn’t done that last night.” They return to Bol Ye’an and go straight to meet Professor Bernard Rochambeaux, who is from Quebec. He apologetically tells them that the doesn’t have much information. He is disturbed to hear that Yolanda is missing, although she is not one of his students and he doesn’t really know her. In private, Dhatt says that Rochambeaux is one of the few members of the university who has an alibi for the time Mahalia was killed.

While Borlú and Dhatt head to Professor Nancy’s office, a man greets them, introducing himself as David Bowden. Borlú shakes Bowden’s hand and says, “I’m enjoying your book,” and Bowden replies, “That’ll get you arrested.” David explains that he doesn’t have an office; he is an adjunct, only employed one day a week. He is only at the site today because his supervisee, Yolanda, did not show up for their meeting. Upon hearing that Yolanda is missing, Bowden is aghast. Other professors Borlú and Dhatt speak to are equally shocked. Professor Nancy, however, already knows that Yolanda is missing. 

Borlú asks Nancy about Mahalia. Nancy recalls how Mahalia “embarrassed” the university by talking about Orciny years ago at the conference in Besźel. She asks about Yolanda, and Dhatt encourages her not to jump to conclusions. She takes Borlú and Dhatt around the site, explaining the significance of the ancient artefacts there. They speak to some of the students at work on the dig, who express their profound sadness at Mahalia’s fate and fear for Yolanda. One student mentions that Yolanda was more into Orciny than Mahalia, who lost interest over the years. Most of the students have alibis for the night of Mahalia’s murder, as unlike their professors, they were out socializing.

The students don’t have many ideas about what could have happened to Mahalia. One rejects the idea of “conspiracies,” but says that Mahalia’s ability to provoke people could have led to her death. Another comments that many people were afraid of her; she was smart, but nobody really knew her. Another student admits that he called about Yolanda. He seems anguished and nervous as he describes both Mahalia and Yolanda’s interests in Orciny. After speaking to the students, Borlú observes that it’s strange that none of them mentioned Breach. Normally, when people in Besźel or Ul Qoma disappear, Breach is the first explanation to which people turn.  

Suddenly, one of the security guards from the site runs after them, asking if they are investigating Mahalia’s murder. He introduces himself as Aikam Tsueh and asks if they’ve found anything out. Borlú explains that they can’t tell him right now, but says they might ask him a few questions. Aikam looks nervous, but agrees. As they walk away, Borlú asks Dhatt if they checked if the security guards had alibis. Dhatt says they did and that Aikam probably had one, as he doesn’t remember his name being flagged.