After more silence (even though they are both capable of talking), a rifle is suddenly pointed at them by a woman named Hildy. Hildy, learning that Todd is from Prentisstown, is shocked and feels angered, but soon finds that nothing in his Noise suggests that he knows why. Todd and Viola spend the night at Hildy's and her husband, Tam's, house. Tam has Noise but Hildy, being a woman, does not. Todd is told that women aren’t affected by the Noise, nor is it fatal for them.
Next morning, Hildy takes Todd and Viola to a settlement named Farbranch. They are introduced, Viola seeking a means to contact her people on the main ship, while Todd is shunned by the entire community. He remains clueless as to why. It’s nightfall when the men from Prentisstown, who are now an army, burn down the town. Todd and Viola escape and flee for the most technologically advanced settlement on New World, called Haven, where there is a cure for Noise and a possible transmitter tower.
After a few days, Prentiss Jr. finds them. Todd wants to kill him, but discovers he is unable to. After a brief fight, Todd settles for tying up the Mayor’s son before the pair head off for Haven.
Midnight comes, and they find a campfire and a wire with fish on it. A Spackle is sitting besides this, and Todd is shocked, having been under the impression that all Sparkles had been killed during the war. Fuelled by anger and frustration, Todd leaps at the Spackle and kills it with the hunting knife, stunned at the amount of blood and the animal’s human-like fear. He drops the knife after, distressed.
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