The Spiets have arrived in Zwanenburg, Noord Holland, and Jack is exploring his new surroundings. The house and meat shop are built on top of an old dike, with a street and a canal running just in front of the shop, right along the top of the dike. On one side of the store is a bakery and on the other, a confectionery. There's a large rear yard flanked on the left by willows and hawthorns, with several buildings and pens, a garden in the central area, and a whole stand of fruit trees on the right side. He sees chickens in a pen above the orchard, but no pigeons.
He notices the house seems to be built out of little square or rectangular red stones, all in neat rows one on top of the other, with some gray stuff in between. Next door, too. But he's not surprised by that. He had expected it, somehow.
Jack is pleased to find the big horse chestnut tree there, and the tool shed, and the reeds behind the chicken pen. It makes the place seem familiar, to see the things Victor talked about. Now he is here, looking at what Victor saw, in Victor's place.
The wind is damp here, cold with the chill of early autumn. Jack, unaccustomed to this heavy air, feels oppressed. A dirty seagull stands on the driveway, looking at him, and a couple more scurry about on the low flat roof behind the bakery, squawking and squabbling.
Someone is calling. He goes to the house.
Mr and Mrs Spiets are talking to a lady at the back door.
Marie, "Jack, look who just dropped by. This is Minnie, she will be looking after you kids when Dad and I are in the shop. You listen to her. When we're not here, she's in charge. She'll be back Monday morning."
Minnie is a tall and skinny brunette. She seems a little uncomfortable, and soon goes inside to talk to the girls. Jack thinks she may resent him because of Victor.
Mrs Spiets is talking, "Jack, you'll have to concentrate on your Dutch over the next few weeks. It's true we may be on our way to Canada any time, and then you would no longer really need Dutch, but we can't count on that. We may be here for months, and your schooling shouldn't fall behind."
"That's fine, Mrs Spiets, I've been learning the language all along, with the Schuurmans. I'll be alright."
