The Sirens of Titan: Epilogue: Reunion with Stony Summary & Analysis

Constant and Beatrice both live to be 74 years old, and die within 24 hours of each other. Before Constant’s death, he lives inside Salo’s spaceship, which Constant never tries to fly because it’s too complicated. However, he does manage to find the place where the good-luck piece fits into the spaceship. During his years living on Titan, Constant passes the time by trying to put Salo back together, at first hoping Salo might agree to fly Chrono back to Earth. Constant and Beatrice themselves aren’t very eager to go back. However, when Constant reaches 74, Chrono is already 42, and is thriving in his life on Titan. He lives in the nests of the Titanic birds, and even speaks their language.

Constant almost never sees Chrono, although he occasionally hears him, and sometimes he finds shrines Chrono has made. Constant tidies up the shrines, and feels respect for “what his son [is] trying to do with religion.” Beatrice lives by herself in the Taj Mahal replica. Once in a great while, Chrono comes to see her, and they have fights about civilization that end with Chrono ripping off his clothes and screaming. After this happens, Beatrice signals for Constant to come and comfort her. Beatrice is beautiful, though likely somewhat insane.

Beatrice is writing a book called The True Purpose of Life in the Solar System which rejects the idea that human existence was controlled by the Tralfamadorians to help Salo complete his mission. Sometimes she reads parts of the manuscript to Constant, as she does now. Constant isn’t really listening. Instead, he is focused on the pool, which is covered in slime. He has never figured out how to clean it, and now the sirens of Titan are hidden by the gross mulch on the water’s surface. Beatrice says she has an idea, and goes to look at the portrait of herself as a little girl, dressed in white. She concludes that the worst possible fate a person could have would be to never be “used” for any purpose.

Constant attempts to drain the pool and sweeps the courtyard while he waits for the water to recede. As he watches the water drain, he suddenly realizes that there is a sound missing—the sound of Beatrice’s breathing. She is dead. Constant buries her body on the shore of the Winston Sea, in a spot free of statues. An enormous flock of birds appears in the sky, all of whom silently witness the “funeral.” Chrono appears, wearing a feather cape. He thanks his parents for giving him the “gift of life,” then flies off. 

Back at the palace, Salo comes to greet Constant and thanks him for putting him back together. Constant admits he thought he’d gotten it wrong when Salo remained silent, but Salo explains that  he couldn’t decide if he wanted to wake up. He has now decided to continue on his mission, seeing as he’s already gotten this far. Constant says that Beatrice died, and that he misses her. He explains that he only fell in love with her one Earthling year ago, when he finally realized that “a purpose of human life, no matter who is controlling it, is to love whoever is around to be loved.”

Salo offers Constant and Chrono a ride back to Earth. Constant explains that Chrono has joined the birds, but that he himself will accept the ride. During the journey, Salo worries that bringing Constant back to Earth was a mistake. Constant asks to be dropped in Indianapolis, which concerns Salo, because it is not a very hospitable environment for “a homeless old man.” However, Constant wants to go there because it was the first place that a white man was hanged for killing a Native man, and this is the kind of place he belongs. Salo makes grieving sounds with his feet. He tries to reassure himself by reminding himself that Constant has some money and clothing, which he took from Rumfoord’s palace.

Just before they reach Earth, Salo hypnotizes Constant, implanting a soothing illusion in his mind that will appear when he dies. The spaceship lands at three a.m. in the middle of the Indiana winter. Salo lets Constant out and directs him toward a bus stop, telling him the bus will come in about ten minutes, and that he can ask the driver to take him to a hotel. Constant assures Salo that he is “warm as toast.” Salo feels snow on his face. They bid each other goodbye, and Constant walks over to the bus stop, while Salo gets back in his ship. Because of the snow, the bus is two hours delayed. By the time it comes, Constant has frozen to death. However, as he dies, he experiences the illusion placed in his mind by Salo.

The illusion is that Constant is reunited with Stony Stevenson. A diamond-encrusted spaceship lets Stony out, still wearing his Martian uniform. He invites Constant into the spaceship, telling him it will take him to “paradise,” where “everybody’s happy forever.” Stony says that Beatrice is waiting there for him. Constant is shocked that he is being let into paradise, and Stony replies, “somebody up there likes you.”