ATDTDA (18): Blame it on the magician, 516-519

[Paul Nightingale]

Kit now follows Root as, earlier, he led him into the first-class dining
saloon. Root has apparently learned of the ship's origins, which information
he presumably shares with Kit. However, Kit isn't mentioned in this section
until the bottom of 517. At the start of the section, "they [find] the ship
deeper than they had imagined" (516), and then, eventually, Kit is
apprehended as he "look[s] around for the nearest ladder" (517). He is
prevented, then, from reversing his progress, just as earlier he had been
thinking back to home life: "seized by memories" on 515, and now "seized by
a gigantic bituminous hand, which propelled him rapidly ..." etc (517).
Subsequently, "for what seem[s] like hours ... he [makes] the same trip back
and forth". Cf. his movement between fourth class and "palatial
accommodations" on 510-511.

As the ship transforms itself, "passengers [find] themselves, often lethally
in the way of this booming and shrieking steel metamorphosis" (518), all by
way of contrast to Kit's experience, of course: suffer he might, but he has
been integrated in the machine. The Zombinis, meanwhile, aren't fazed by
events. Thus far the family has been kept at a distance, glimpsed by Kit as
they came to dinner: "... a large party of performing Italians ..." etc
(511). Now they appear to offer a perspective on what might seem bizarre
events, eg Cici: "It must be Pop ..." etc (518). From this point the
narrative focus is on a generalised response, and "the giant magnetic
compass mounted in the dining saloon for the entertainment of the
passengers" (519). Preparations for dinner interrupted the scene between
Dally and Erlys on 509; and then a first view of the dining saloon focused
on the orchestra (510).