The Circle

After her success at the meeting, Mae and Francis take a train into the city. People recognize them and step into her camera’s view. Mae feels good, though she is increasingly isolated from people who have been close to her, including Annie, her parents, and Kalden. For now, she “care[s] only about this moment, this night, the sky clear and starless” (396).

Mae and Francis go to a bar and are repeatedly recognized. She has several drinks and takes pictures with fans. They go to a quieter establishment, where a drunk older man approaches them. He says he was once a divinity student but long ago deviated from that track. He hasn’t felt spiritual, but Mae’s talk earlier that day changed things. He tells her that she “connected it all” and “found a way to save all the souls” (398). He continues his monologue until they laugh at him and then apologize.

In her dorm, Mae wakes up next to Francis. There are over 300 messages on her phone from a blocked number. She knows it’s Kalden but ignores him.

At work, Mae receives massive praise, including from Bailey. The Circle has already started working on a prototype to implement her idea, which they are calling Demoxie.