The Moon is Down: Chapter 1 Summary & Analysis

One Sunday morning a group of invaders storms an unnamed town. The local policeman and postman, who are out at sea on a rowboat they borrowed from Mr. Corell, a popular storekeeper, watch the enemies fly toward the village. As they make haste toward land, the plane discharges parachutists, who find the town mostly empty, since the twelve local soldiers are six miles into the woods participating in a shooting competition organized by Mr. Corell. By the time the local military men arrive to defend their beloved town from the invaders, it’s already too late—six are killed, three are taken hostage, and three flee into the mountains.

The invaders quickly take over the town, playing loud triumphant music in the central square, where the citizens gather to observe the spectacle with looks of surprise and confusion. Meanwhile, the enemy soldiers take up residence in Mr. Corell’s large warehouse and send word to Mayor Orden, the town’s top official, that their commander, Colonel Lanser, will be visiting the mayoral palace.

Inside the palace’s drawing room, the mayor’s servant, Joseph, frets over the placement of the chairs, worrying about their exact orientations while the town’s local historian and physician, Doctor Winter, sits by the fireplace. Winter reminds Joseph that the invaders are a “time-minded people,” saying that they will most likely be punctual. “They hurry toward their destiny as though it would not wait,” he tells the anxious young man. “They push the rolling world along with their shoulders.” Joseph agrees, though he dislikes the conversation because it won’t help him in formulating a clear opinion about the town’s current circumstances.

Doctor Winter asks Joseph where Mayor Orden is, and Joseph says the mayor’s wife, Madame Orden, is currently trimming his ear hairs in preparation for Colonel Lanser’s visit. Winter stands up, and Joseph takes the opportunity to put his chair exactly where it should be. Just then, a helmeted man appears outside the door. Joseph and Doctor Winter let him in, thinking he is the colonel, but the man tells them his name is Captain Bentick and that he has arrived in anticipation of the colonel in order to carry out various “military regulations,” such as searching the premises and residents for weapons. “I hope you will pardon us,” he says sheepishly to Doctor Winter as another sergeant pats down the physician’s pockets.

“I believe there are some firearms here?” Captain Bentick asks, opening a notebook in reference. When Doctor Winter expresses his surprise at how much Captain Bentick already knows about the town, Bentick says, “Yes, our local man has been working here for some time.” He then tells Winter that Mr. Corell is an informant for the military, a fact that deeply surprises the doctor because of how well-regarded Corell is in the town.

Mayor Orden finally emerges from having his ear hairs trimmed, wiggling a stubby finger into his right ear while the bright white hair atop his head fights to stand up after having been combed. Captain Bentick introduces himself and then goes to collect the two guns Mayor Orden owns. When he leaves, Doctor Winter talks to Mayor Orden and Madame Orden about how to appropriately receive Colonel Lanser. Madame asks whether they should serve tea or wine, and Doctor Winter replies, “I don’t know. It’s been so long since we conquered anybody or anybody conquered us. I don’t know what is proper.” Mayor Orden, for his part, expresses that he thinks they shouldn’t offer anything, because he doesn’t want to drink with the conquerors. “Didn’t people in the old days—the leaders, that is—compliment each other and take a glass of wine?” his wife asks.

Despite his wife’s insistence that they offer the colonel something to drink, Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter determine that the townspeople might not like it if their leader drank with the invader. Madame protests, saying that the villagers are calmly listening to the invaders’ music in the square—“If they can do that, why shouldn’t we keep civilized procedure alive?” she asks. Nonetheless, Mayor Orden doesn’t change his opinion, reminding her that the invaders killed six townspeople that very morning and that, though the villagers might be “confused” right now about how to act, they elected him to not be confused and, because of this, he will not drink wine with the enemy.

When Colonel Lanser arrives, a helmeted man announces his presence and steps to the side, revealing the colonel and a man in a black suit, who Mayor Orden and Doctor Winter recognize as Mr. Corell. Lanser asks if Winter is an official, and Mayor Orden assures him that although his friend is not technically affiliated with the government he is writing a local history and deserves to be present. Colonel Lanser accepts this, saying that perhaps Winter will be including the invasion in his history. He then introduces the men to Mr. Corell, though they already know who he is. This is when Mayor Orden discovers that it was his friend the storekeeper who sold out the town. Orden is beside himself, saying: “George, this isn’t true! You have sat at my table, you have drunk port with me. Why, you helped me plan the hospital! This isn’t true!”

Mr. Corell justifies his actions to Mayor Orden, saying, “I work for what I believe in! That is an honorable thing.” Nevertheless, Orden is furious and refuses to speak with Colonel Lanser until Corell leaves. When Corell argues that he deserves to be present for this meeting, Lanser orders him to leave. Finally, Corell obeys, since he doesn’t outrank the colonel.

Not long after Corell leaves, Mayor Orden and Colonel Lanser’s conversation is interrupted by the palace’s cook, Annie, who complains to the mayor and his wife that there is a group of soldiers on the back porch and that they keep looking through the kitchen window at her. Lanser assures her that this is only “military procedure” and that they won’t bother her. When she leaves, he turns his attention to Orden, saying, “We want to get along as well as we can. You see, sir, this is more like a business venture than anything else. We need the coal mine here and the fishing. We will try to get along with just as little friction as possible.”

After Colonel Lanser explains to Orden that the rest of the country has also been invaded, the mayor asks if there has been any resistance. The colonel admits there has been, but says any retaliations have been easily resolved by the invaders. Still, Orden takes a pleasure in knowing that civilians have resisted. At this point, Lanser asks if Orden plans to cooperate, explaining that he himself is “more engineer than soldier” and saying the bottom line is simply that he and his soldiers must extract coal from the town’s mine. Orden points out that it’s possible the villagers won’t want to cooperate, asking the colonel what will happen if this is the case. “They must,” Lanser says, “They are an orderly people. They don’t want trouble. Is that not so, sir?” To this, Orden truthfully says he does not know.

Continuing their discussion regarding whether or not the village will cooperate with the invaders, Colonel Lanser says that his government hopes to keep Orden as the town’s mayor. In fact, Lanser says that Orden is to “give the orders” and penalize people when necessary. Arguing that this system won’t work, Orden says the only power he has is to represent the needs and wishes of the people. “Some people accept appointed leaders and obey them,” he explains. “But my people elected me. They made me and they can unmake me. Perhaps they will if they think I have gone over to you. I just don’t know.” He elaborates on this point by saying that the villagers don’t like it when other people think for them.

Interrupting Colonel Lanser and Mayor Orden’s conversation, Joseph comes into the room and reports that Annie is growing increasingly agitated about the soldiers on the back porch. Madame tells him to calm her down, and discussion turns back to more immediate matters as Lanser asks Orden if the higher ranking invaders can stay in his palace. He explains that when the military lives with the “local authority,” it sets a precedent of collaboration for the townspeople. “Am I permitted to refuse this honor?” asks Orden. “I’m sorry,” Lanser says. “No. These are the orders of my leader.”

A loud scream issues from the kitchen, and Joseph bursts through the door. He announces that Annie has thrown boiling water out the window and onto the soldiers on the back porch. A soldier comes in and asks if he should arrest her, since she scalded several men and bit another. Lanser thinks for a moment before ordering the soldier to let Annie go and to tell the rest of the men to leave the porch. Turning to Mayor Orden, he points out that he could have Annie shot or imprisoned, but then he focuses again on more logistical matters, telling the mayor that it is of the utmost importance that the invaders and the townspeople get along so that the military can export the village’s coal with ease.

Before leaving the mayoral palace, Colonel Lanser asks Orden again whether or not he intends to cooperate with the invaders. Orden explains that he won’t know what he will do until he learns what the townspeople want from him. “But you are the authority,” Lanser points out. “You won’t believe this,” Orden says in reply, “but it is true: authority is in the town. I don’t know how or why, but it is so.” He repeats that he doesn’t know what he will do yet.