Robin travels by stagecoach with Professor Lovell to Oxford, enduring a racist exchange from a fellow passenger before an awkward parting at University College. Lodged on Magpie Lane, he meets Ramiz Rafi Mirza from Calcutta; the two quickly become close, sharing sweets, poems, and stories that make Robin feel, for the first time, at home.

Over three free days, Robin and Ramy shop, punt, and sample pastries, while Ramy explains performing an “Oriental” persona to manage English expectations, citing Sake Dean Mahomed. During a picnic, Ramy bluntly suggests Lovell is Robin’s father; Robin is uncertain. Their bond deepens amid Robin’s burgeoning attraction and sense of belonging.

Housemates arrive: Colin Thornhill, Bill Jameson, and the Sharp twins. A drinks gathering devolves into the Sharps’ racist taunts and intrusive questions, ending in quiet exclusion. Tours of Oxford follow, including the Bodleian with Reverend Dr Bandinel and University College’s chapel, where a Sir William Jones frieze reveals colonial hierarchy.

Late Sunday, after study, Robin and Ramy stroll at night and are confronted by drunken Balliol students. Mark, an aggressor, demands Ramy remove his gown; Robin prevents a fight by dragging Ramy away. Soon after, Ramy realizes he left his notebook at the Bodleian. Robin goes back alone to retrieve it.

On his return, Robin hears Chinese—wúxíng—and finds three black-clad youths with spilled silver bars. One is his uncanny double, whose invisibility bar is failing. Robin grasps the bar, speaks “wúxíng”/“invisible,” and all four become formless, eluding a constable. The thieves stuff the silver into their clothes; the double tells Robin, “The Twisted Root. Find me there,” before fleeing.

Robin returns Ramy’s notebook. Both silently recognize that despite gowns and affiliation, they are unsafe in Oxford. They separate without voicing the painful truth.