The People in the Trees

As Norton ages, he loses interest in raising his children and longs to start his life anew, but this goal is impossible while he still has children in the house. When he reaches the age of retirement, his status as a Nobel Prize winner allows him to continue working with the NIH. However, his past treatment of the dreamers haunts him, and even prevents him from being allowed to observe and study another tribe. He begins to spend less time at his lab and more time at home. One Sunday, Victor expresses a wish to start going by Vi, believing that it sounds more U’ivuan. When Norton suggests that he go by his middle name of Owen, instead, Victor refuses, expressing his desire not to be saddled with a white man’s name. This is a familiar argument to Norton, for many of his children go through a similar moment of realization, with some even calling him a colonialist.

Norton knows that his relationships with his children go through phases. They love him at first, then they hate him, but they eventually come back bearing apologies when they realize the opportunities he gives them. One night at dinner, Victor refuses to pass food across the table to Norton because Norton refuses to call him Vi. Norton declares that while Victor’s siblings can call him Vi, Norton will instead call him simply “No-Name Boy” or just “Boy.” After this confrontation, the atmosphere in the house is shaky, and Norton prepares for the holiday season with little help from his children. Despite this setback, he is excited that Owen will be coming, as he feels extremely lonely at this time of year. He also feels as though he must move on, and in his mind, he resents and dehumanizes his children for burdening him.

Christmas approaches, and Owen and Norton argue over the kids. Owen always thinks he knows better, despite not having any children, and Norton resents him for trying to tell him how to parent. They argue over how Norton kicked one of his children, Abby, out of the house for smoking marijuana. Because she later showed up at Owen’s apartment seeking shelter, Owen now refuses to come to Norton’s Christmas celebrations, for he is worried about Norton’s treatment of the children. On Christmas Eve, most of the children are home and in bed. Norton fills their stockings and steps outside, wondering if he should just leave this life behind. When he tries to come back into the house, he finds the door locked. Victor steps out of the shadows, insisting that his name is Vi, and after the ensuing altercation, Victor locks Norton outside all night. One of his older children finds him outside the next morning, nearly frozen, and Norton realizes that Victor planned for him to die in the cold. Reentering the house, Norton finds Victor in the living room and hits him repeatedly. He calls him an animal, dehumanizing him and locking him in the basement for three days. When he finally lets the teenager out, Victor is compliant.

Dr. Kubodera notes here that he has omitted a passage of Norton’s writing. Over the next five years, Victor is on autopilot, separate from his siblings and never making waves. When he goes to college, Norton rarely thinks of him. However, during Victor’s sophomore year, two detectives arrive at the house in Bethesda and ask Norton to accompany them to the station for questioning.

Owen encourages Victor to speak to the police and supports him after Norton is arrested. Norton is placed on house arrest, and the children are taken from him. When Victor testifies against him, Norton admires the man Victor has become and sees the budding relationship between Victor and Owen. After the testimony, Norton’s lawyer advises him to change his plea to guilty, but Norton refuses. Norton is convicted and placed in isolation. He writes the end of his memoirs as his sentence comes to an end. While in prison, he dreams of Ivu’ivu, but most frequently and specifically, he dreams of being with Tallent there.

Norton and Dr. Kubodera go missing after Norton’s release from prison. Their houses and apartments are abandoned, and it is discovered that Norton previously transferred most of his assets to Dr. Kubodera.

Dr. Kubodera explains that he and Norton are now hiding far away and that he frequently spends time making flower arrangements for Norton. Dr. Kubodera left his entire life and family behind for Norton and finds himself suffering from occasional homesickness that he initially thought was hunger. Before completing his account, Dr. Kubodera states that he will share the excerpt that he initially cut out of Norton’s memoir, which he doesn’t believe will change people’s opinions of Norton one way or the other. Now that he and Norton have escaped the public eye, he is excited for their next chapter together.

This section relates the missing passage from Norton’s memoir. After the incident at Christmas, Victor is only well-behaved for about a month. He soon begins misbehaving again and even shaves a vulgar word onto the neighbor’s cat. He goes through periods of calm and rebellion, and in one instance, he breaks a crystal bowl that Owen gifted to Norton for winning the Nobel Prize. Victor leaves the pieces on the floor with a note reading, “Oops.” After finding the mess, Norton goes to Victor’s room and watches him sleep for a moment before smothering him with a pillow and pulling down his pants. He rapes Victor and does so repeatedly in the future as well, each time stating that his actions are taken out of love. He has also done the same with other boys that he adopted. Later, he is shocked when he is accused of sexual assault, for in his act of raping the boys, he believes that he only ever meant to give the boys what he had always wanted to give: love.