after questioning residents farber, bell, dury, and five nameless smokers, heep discovers the writer is tenant vick ran, who is struggling to complete "the cookbook". heep brings vick to story, which eliminates his fear and sharpens his inner voice. she later reveals that "the cookbook" will contain views and ideas so significant they will inspire a future president, a great midwestern orator, to greatly change the world for the better. vick later deduces, and she confirms, that he will be assassinated because of the controversial nature of his ideas, giving them extra power.