- During the last day of hot weather, Karana paddles her canoe down to the sandspit to patch it up with pitch, as she does every spring.
- Tiring from the work, she slips on her island shades ("shields made of wood with small slits in them to see through") and takes a nap under the canoe (27.2).
- That's when the ground starts shaking. Earthquake! Karana jumps to her feet. The tide is low and there's a rumbling sound in the sky. She looks to the sea and sees a white crested wave headed toward the island.
- Karana runs from the approaching wave and scrambles up a cliff. The wave hits (hard) right beneath her, and she's able to hold on.
- Pretty soon, she sees a second wave coming toward the island. It clashes with the first wave, still running out. Then it strikes the cliff. Karana feels herself dragged by the water, but hangs on somehow.
- When everything is quiet, Karana climbs down and goes home. Rontu-Aru is happy to see her, of course.
- The earth starts to move again after she wakes up and goes to the spring. An aftershock, maybe? At home, the fence has collapsed. The earth shakes all through the night, but stops by morning.