The Illegal

Keita sees that he made it into the newspaper in a story about Calder running the marathon. The story includes a photo of Keita crossing the finish line with an expression of worry. As he rides the bus, he falls asleep. When he wakes up, John is sitting next to him, staring at Keita’s exposed hernia. John introduces himself, and they end up talking for a few hours, sharing details about their childhoods. John explains that Keita can go into hiding in AfricTown. Keita borrows John’s computer and checks his email. He finds an email from someone named George Maxwell from the Pink Palace in Zantoroland, demanding $15,000 in return for his sister Charity. The ransom due date is June 22, 2018. He also sees an email from Charity herself, letting him know she is still alive. Keita realizes he must stay alive and win races to earn the money to free his sister.

Saunders, who works for Prime Minister Wellington, and Anton Hamm meet at the All Saints Hotel to discuss their “give and take” relationship. Saunders wants Hamm to give him information about “Illegals from Zantoroland […] hiding in Freedom State” (169). In exchange, Saunders will make Hamm’s tax problems go away and provide him with $60,000 a year.