City of Glass

The next day, Quinn approaches Stillman Sr. while he is sitting on a bench in Riverside Park. Quinn sits down and stares at Stillman Sr., waiting for a reaction. Finally, Stillman Sr. tells Quinn that he cannot talk to him. When Quinn asks why, Stillman Sr. says he does not talk to strangers. In response, Quinn gives Stillman Sr. his real name, so they will no longer be strangers. Stillman Sr. likes Quinn’s name and notes that it rhymes with “twin.” However, he does not provide his name in response.

Instead, Stillman Sr. talks about his research, which involves “collecting data” and “gathering evidence.” He claims that the world is fragmented and that it is his job to piece it back together. He also says he is the only person in the world who can perform this task, and he feels he is close to an important breakthrough. Rather than ask Stillman Sr. probing questions, Quinn simply lets him speak. It soon becomes apparent that Stillman Sr. is more than happy to discuss his ultimate goal.

Stillman Sr. says he is creating a new language that corresponds with the world as it actually is. He believes language as it currently exists cannot properly convey meaning. Additionally, he thinks New York City is the perfect place to achieve his goal because everything in it is broken, including the people. He tells Quinn that he picks up various objects on the street and names them. When Quinn asks Stillman Sr. how he knows if he has named an object correctly, Stillman Sr. assures Quinn that he never makes a mistake. Quinn asks for an example, but Stillman Sr. refuses to give him one. He is keeping his language secret until he publishes his book on the topic.

One day later, Quinn meets with Stillman Sr. again. He watches Stillman Sr. enter the Mayflower Café for breakfast and then follows him inside. Boldly, Quinn follows Stillman Sr. to his booth and sits down across from him. After a few minutes, Stillman Sr. asks Quinn if they know each other. Quinn responds that his name is Henry Dark but claims he does not know Stillman Sr. Stillman Sr. responds that it is impossible for Quinn’s name to be Henry Dark because Henry Dark is someone he made up. 

Quinn asks Stillman Sr. why he invented Henry Dark. Stillman Sr. claims his ideas were too controversial to express directly. As such, he needed a conduit through which to say what he wanted to say, so he created Henry Dark. Stillman Sr. likes the name because it has a secret meaning hidden in its initials. Quinn hazards several guesses as to the significance of “H.D.” including Henry David Thoreau, Hilda Doolittle, and a combination of the Greek philosophers Heraclitus and Democritus. Each time, Stillman Sr. tells Quinn he is wrong, though he is impressed with the creativity of Quinn’s answers.

Quinn gives up, so Stillman Sr. tells him the real answer: Humpty Dumpty. This response only confuses Quinn further, so he asks Stillman Sr. to clarify. Stillman Sr. claims that Humpty Dumpty embodies the human condition because he is an egg (something which is, by definition, unalive and still developing) that is nonetheless alive. Additionally, Stillman Sr. sites Humpty Dumpty as a “fallen creature.” Like humans in the book of Genesis, he fell and now cannot be put back together again.

Stillman Sr. also connects Humpty Dumpty to a famous (apocryphal) story often told about Christopher Columbus. When critics of Columbus’s desire to sail west to find new trade routes told him the task was impossible, he handed them an egg and asked them to make it stand on its end. After they tried and failed, Columbus took the egg, slightly tapped its base to make it flat, and then stood it upright. From Columbus, Stillman Sr. jumps to yet another great achievement of the human species: the moon landing in 1969. According to Stillman Sr., not only was the moon landing a grand achievement, but it is also significant because the moon resembles an egg. A moment later, a waitress arrives with Stillman Sr.’s breakfast, which includes a soft-boiled egg.

Later the same day, Quinn meets Stillman Sr. for a third time, once again at Riverside Park. Stillman Sr. is sitting on a rock, so Quinn walks around it several times, assuming the man will notice him. When Stillman Sr. does not say anything, Quinn sits down near him and says hello. Still, Stillman Sr. does not recognize him. Quinn does not think Stillman Sr. is acting, as he is far too convincing. This time, when Stillman Sr. asks for Quinn’s name, Quinn tells him it is Peter Stillman. Stillman Sr. responds that Peter Stillman is his name. Quinn says he—Quinn—is another Peter Stillman. Stillman Sr. examines Quinn and decides it is possible that Quinn could be his son.

Stillman Sr. asks Quinn (who he now thinks is Peter) how he has been. Quinn says he has greatly improved. Quinn’s response makes Stillman Sr. happy because he had been told his son was dead. Stillman Sr. admits that he is not doing quite as well. He has some days that are good, others that are bad. Still, he says he lives an exhilarating life because of his work, which could take him anywhere at any time.

Stillman Sr. also instructs Quinn (who is still acting as Peter) never to lie because “it makes you sorry you were ever born. And not to have been born is a curse.” He then briefly discusses how George Washington famously did not lie and connects the cherry tree Washington shopped down as a child to the Tree of Life. Stillman Sr. asks if Quinn can follow what he is saying. Quinn says that he can, and he will not forget what Stillman Sr. has said. Stillman. Sr. responds that he will now be able to die happy.

The following morning, Quinn posts himself outside of Stillman Sr.’s hotel as usual. However, Stillman Sr. never comes outside. Quinn wonders if Stillman Sr. died in his sleep. Quinn gets irritated because it is the day his entire plan was supposed to come together, and he does not know what to do now that Stillman Sr. is not in the picture. At 11:00 a.m., several hours after Stillman Sr. usually leaves the hotel, Quinn decides to go inside and investigate.

Quinn asks the hotel worker at the counter if he can leave a message for Stillman Sr. The hotel worker claims there is no one with that name staying at the hotel. Desperate, Quinn pulls out money and, at the sight of it, the hotel worker agrees to help him. He tells Quinn that Stillman Sr. checked out of the hotel the previous night. Quinn asks if he can see Stillman’s room, but the hotel worker says he has already rented out the room to someone else.

Quinn returns home and calls Virginia to let her know that he has lost track of Stillman Sr. Virginia tells Quinn she is frightened because Peter got a phone call early in the morning while she was in the bath. She thinks the call must have been from Stillman Sr. because Peter is refusing to speak. Quinn promises Virginia that he has some ideas on how to find Stillman Sr. and offers to call her every two hours with updates. His promise puts Virginia at ease. After Quinn hangs up the phone, he is happy with how he handled Virginia. However, in reality, he has no idea how to locate Stillman Sr.