The Language of the Hall
Julian Lane, a cosmopolitan consultant, attempts to finalize the liquidation of his family's estate at a local community hall, only to find that his offshore legal documents are invalid. The Enforcer and the elders reveal that the family debt is a social identity trap rather than a financial one. The chapter ends with the hall doors locking and the Key Relative admitting that Julian’s personal offshore accounts were actually holding pens for the family’s illicit debt.