Euphoria

Fen, Nell, and Andrew read the manuscript of Helen Benjamin’s book over tea. One of the sections covers the Dobu tribe; Fen is the only anthropologist to have researched the Dobu. Andrew considers that the Dobu remind him of Fen with “his paranoid streak, his dark humour, his distrust of pleasure, his secrecy” (177). Importantly, Andrew questions “when only one person is the expert on a particular people, do we learn more about the people or the anthropologist when we read the analysis?” (177).

When they finish reading, Nell confesses that Fen will not help her contact Xambun, and she worries that they will not succeed in procuring a testament from him. Andrew tells Nell that he caught Fen writing something, which is an unusual activity for him. Andrew agrees to help her as far as he can, telling her what he saw of the men’s ceremonial house.

Fen is annoyed to return and see Nell and Andrew working together. Andrew sees Xambun later in a ceremony and senses that “he was different” (183), unenthusiastic about the proceedings around him. While Nell wants to interview Xambun straight away, Fen insists that she should wait a week to let him settle in.