Littered with margin comments, this page has much more interesting information in the text of the story than in Eric’s monologue.

Through some odd symbol, we find out that S and Stenfalk were connected to each other in some way or another in the past, however, Stenfalk did not mention anything about that.  Typically, when Straka refers to a symbol, he is referencing the S.  Clearly, this is a hint that Stenfalk and S did work together, or more directly, that Ekstrom and Straka had some sort of relationship in the past.  However, with their connection, S points out that it is strange that the “older man [didn’t] know him” (195).  Though, if we look at S as essentially Straka, then this is not strange at all.  Perhaps Straka is explaining how with his idendity, nobody really knows him that well.  Always on the run and working, Straka probably could not have a lot of super close interactions with others.

From the mouth of the cave, the hunters call after S as a “god-dammed Red” (195).  With Straka’s capitalization of the word red, it becomes evident that the hunters thought S, and Straka for that matter, were communists.  In the margin comments, Eric discounts the validity of their thoughts, but notes that “if enough people think you a certain way, it becomes true” (195).  Mixed into the same page his discussion of his worthlessness to his dad, this comment leads us to suppose that Eric feels as if he has become what his dad had put upon him.

The end of the page, running slightly onto the next page gives us some very interesting information.  S tells us that holding hands with Corbeau gives him a memory of him and her “walking through the city together–yes, they were just pretending to be a couple, and yes, they were already on the run, but he liked how it felt” (195).  If we assume that Corbeau represents Durand, then this would mean that at some point, while running from their assailants, Straka and Durand faked a relationship.  If Vaclav was Straka, he would have been much too young to do this, therefore, it seems from this evidence, that Vaclav was not Straka.

The final leap on this page could provide some very important information for our hunt for the real Straka, but this must be compiled with more evidence to make a solid case.