Mack makes his living selling liquor in Rock City. When he arrives home late, he apologises to Peg, who doesn't live with him but has been waiting for him. He launches into an explanation: he had to make a late delivery to the observatory, where Mack’s friend Harvey seemed to be hosting a party. After that, Mack begins to describe to Peg everything that is new in his life and all that is changing in the people around him. His friend Jamie wants to be a lawyer; Doris is pregnant again; Axel is getting more “wobbly” every day. Janet ticketed somebody and mentioned something about a murder in Castle County. Mack personally had a good day: he moved a lot of malt and sold a lot of whiskey, enough that he doesn't need to worry about this month’s mortgage. He also dealt with a complaint about underage drinking, which allegedly has nothing to do with his shop. He thinks it’s wrong for kids to be drinking. At this point, Peg asks a question about what was going on at the observatory. Mack responds by saying that he doesn't know. There seemed to be some kind of convention going on, and Harvey wanted eight bottles of Mack’s best champagne, which he didn’t have, so he just brought some Hebert’s and some Coela Valley. He brings up that Harvey mentioned something about a long-awaited signal and spikes and cones on a computer screen, but continually sidetracked, he misses the significance of what he saw.