The City & the City: Chapter 17 Summary & Analysis

Borlú and Dhatt go to Bol Ye’an, where the bomb was discovered by Aikam. The package in which it was placed was addressed to David Bowden. A man shows Borlú that someone wrote the phrase, “The heart of a wolf” in Illitan on it. Dhatt explains, “It’s an old motherland song.” Dhatt observes that the bomb was designed to target a single individual, not cause widespread damage or chaos. It was sent from Besźel, from a post office “grosstopically” close, although it would have travelled a long distance via Copula Hall to arrive at Bol Ye’an.

Speaking to Dhatt, Borlú points out that Mahalia angered the nationalists back in Besźel, and that although the equivalent groups are technically banned in Ul Qoma, it’s possible they might have been vengeful against her, too. The officers then speak to Aikam, congratulating him on his discovery and asking how he knew what a bomb felt like. Aikam replies that he didn’t, he just noticed it was suspiciously heavy. Next they speak to Professor Nancy and the head security guard, Kai Buidze. They ask if Bowden often receives mail at the site and Nancy replies that he doesn’t—he technically doesn’t even have an address there. 

Nancy explains that, although Bol Ye’an has never been subject to attack before, Bowden himself has. Borlú begins to speculate that the package may have been from an Ul Qoman nationalist based in Besźel, who sent it from a Besź address in an attempt to obscure its actual origin. Dhatt emphasizes that in Ul Qoma, nationalists are not allowed to congregate like they are in Besźel, and are not treated with the same lenience as unificationists, who are not taken seriously as a threat. Dhatt asks about Aikam, whom Buidze describes as “dumb” and friends with some of the students, including Yolanda but not Mahalia.

Borlú then asks why, considering the site is full of foreign students (who usually have an interest in this sort of thing), no one has mentioned Breach. Buidze puts up his hands and admits that the reason is that students there, like all foreigners, breach all the time. As long as they remain discreet about it, Breach will not punish them. Bol Ye’an is a highly crosshatched area, and the students working there avoid discussing Breach because they know “they’re all guilty as hell.” After Buidze leaves, Dhatt gets a phone call informing him that Bowden is missing from his apartment.