…Minus 085 and COUNTING… The suite was sumptuous. Wall-t

Richards is placed in a luxurious ninth-floor suite with deep carpeting, flowers, silence, and a service button, but the comfort is another form of confinement: two policemen wait outside to stop him from leaving.

Richards presses for service and gives one policeman Killian’s Games Certificates, along with Sheila’s name and address, so the money can be delivered to Richards’s family. Before letting the policeman go, Richards tears off one New Dollar’s worth and tells him to give it to Charlie Grady, adding a bitter joke about Grady’s fee.

Because Richards distrusts the authorities, Richards demands written receipts from both Sheila and Grady. The policeman shows open contempt and says he looks forward to watching the Hunters pursue Richards on Free-Vee, while Richards answers that the police taught him distrust south of the Canal.

Afterward, bourbon arrives, and Richards asks the deliveryman for thick novels, wanting something to read in the silent suite. The deliveryman also asks for a dinner order, and Richards mechanically orders steak, vegetables, milk, and dessert.

The rich food immediately makes Richards think of Sheila’s likely poverty meal, and the contrast disgusts him. Overwhelmed by the luxurious treatment and its false sweetness, Richards loses his appetite and sends the deliveryman away.