Chapter 26 opens with the narrator and Resi returning home late in the evening, initially planning to seek refuge in a hotel for the night. However, something compels them to turn toward their own house instead. Resi is filled with excitement, thrilled at the idea of finally having a place that they can call home, a place they both longed for. Meanwhile, the narrator reflects on the arduous journey of not just acquiring a house, but turning it into a true home—complete with memories, emotions, and experiences that transform the space. Their arrival, however, is far from serene. Instead of peace, their return is marred by an unsettling sight: someone has scrawled a swastika next to the narrator’s name on their mailbox, a chilling sign of renewed hostility and public notoriety that stirs up painful memories and dredges up a long-forgotten, disturbing past.

The narrator, now overcome with trepidation, feels a sense of dread creep over him as he recalls the dangers that have always followed him. The house, once a symbol of solace, now feels like a place tainted by the shadows of past events that he cannot escape. The weight of his troubled history weighs heavily on him, especially as it seems that the renewed attention is dangerous, pulling him back into a life he tried to leave behind. He laments the intrusion of such negative forces into his life once again, as his moments of peace seem so fleeting. Resi, recognizing the risk, suggests that they leave—perhaps travel to a different country for a fresh start, a place where they might find safety away from the prying eyes of those who seek to harm him. Yet, the narrator is reluctant to leave, unable to find a place where he feels he can truly escape the memories and past actions that haunt him. Their conversation is suddenly interrupted by the arrival of a rude, aggressive man who seems to recognize the narrator immediately. This stranger confronts Howard W. Campbell, the narrator, brandishing an article that reveals the Israeli government’s request for Campbell’s extradition, accusing him of complicity in the horrors of the Holocaust.

The situation quickly escalates as the stranger becomes more belligerent, attacking Campbell both verbally and physically. His rage is fueled by his belief that Campbell has escaped justice for the crimes he is accused of committing during the war. The man accuses Campbell of being responsible for the deaths of his comrades—Irving Buchanon, Ansel Brewer, and Eddie McCarty—during the brutal conflict. As the man’s anger boils over, he physically assaults the narrator, taking out his fury on Campbell in the name of justice for those who perished in the war. The violent confrontation leaves Campbell severely injured, his body overwhelmed by the blows. At some point, he loses consciousness, sinking into darkness. When he regains his senses, he finds himself in an unfamiliar, damp room, surrounded by Nazi memorabilia, a macabre setting that echoes the past that still defines him. To his surprise, Resi is there, her presence offering a sliver of comfort amid the grim circumstances.

In the aftermath, the emotional toll on the narrator is palpable. He is unable to escape the suffocating weight of his past decisions, and now, more than ever, he lives in constant fear of being tracked down for the things he has done. The scars from the past are not just physical but deeply emotional, as he finds himself haunted by the choices that led him here. Yet, despite the overwhelming darkness that surrounds him, the narrator reveals his coping mechanisms in a moment of bitter irony. He makes a self-deprecating joke about how he must have joined the Hottentots, referencing a historical group often ridiculed and misunderstood. This dark humor, while certainly born out of trauma, also reflects his complex relationship with his past—acknowledging the pain while using humor as a means of survival. It is an attempt to cope, to laugh in the face of a situation that seems beyond repair. This mixture of humor and horror captures the essence of the chapter, underscoring the narrator’s struggle to reconcile the man he was with the man he has become. Through the emotional complexity of the narrator’s journey, this chapter explores profound themes of guilt, memory, and the enduring repercussions of war on identity.