The City & the City: Chapter 10 Summary & Analysis

Early the next morning, Borlú learns that Gadlem wants to speak with him urgently. He tries to hide, before reluctantly going to Gadlem’s office. Gadlem asks about the Gearys, then says that he has a “tremendously intriguing case” for Borlú—the one that Borlú is already working on. The Oversight Committee has decided not to hand over the case to Breach, on the grounds that there is “insufficient evidence” that breach took place. Gadlem shows him a surveillance videotape of Khurusch’s van. Borlú can make out the edge of Copula Hall, and sees the van drive in and out. This means that the van went from Besźel to Ul Qoma and back legally after all.

The narrative switches to a statement made by the Oversight Committee regarding their decision not to invoke Breach. The statement describes the discovery that the van passed through an official checkpoint at Copula Hall, which means that breach did not occur. Smuggling does not inherently involve breach, although “most breach is committed in order to smuggle.” Mahalia’s murder, the smuggling of her body, and the theft of Khurusch’s van are all crimes that will be properly investigated and punished, but Breach will not be involved.

After reading the report, Borlú angrily exclaims that it’s “bullshit,” and asks how they are supposed to solve the crime without Breach’s help. Gadlem agrees that it is unfair, but he encourages him to take a more positive approach. Borlú will be sent over to Ul Qoma. Gadlem mentions that “this is an exciting new era of cross-border policing,” a phrase taken directly from a brochure that came with the police station’s new computer equipment. Borlú asks to take Corwi with him, but Gadlem refuses. He mentions his disapproval of Borlú’s unauthorized trip to the True Citizens headquarters, which he heard about from Syedr. Gadlem indicates that it is likely this unauthorized visit was the reason why the Oversight Committee reversed course on invoking Breach.

While Borlú prepares to go to Ul Qoma, he receives the copy of Between the City and the City that he ordered online through a link from fracturedcity.org. Buying it was not a great risk, as the censorship of books is generally not taken too seriously. The book was “published by a long-gone anarcho-hippy press.” Borlú calls both his lovers and tells them he is going to Ul Qoma for an investigation. He asks Sariska if she has read Between the City and the City and she replies that she did as an undergrad and loved it. Yet she now thinks the book is “ridiculous” and associates it with adolescence. After, Borlú calls Corwi and suggests that before he leaves, they investigate the footage of the van. She agrees.