Washington Black: Part 4, Chapter 13 Summary & Analysis

Peter Haas arranged for a guide to meet Tanna and Wash in Marrakesh, but the guide is nowhere to be found when they arrive, so they have to take rooms in Marrakesh. They try to hunt down Goff’s marine zoologist, but this leads to a dead end as well, and so they begin to explore the bright city and its markets, trying to find someone who might be able to help them.

One morning a few days later, near the markets, a man introduces himself to Wash—he is the original guide who was supposed to lead them to Titch. He explains that he was very sick the last few days and apologizes. He then gets Wash and Tanna a caravan that will take them to Titch’s house. As the hours crossing the sand drag on, Tanna falls asleep, and Wash wonders how far Dahomey is from there. He thinks that again, Titch has brought him to another unfamiliar place.

Night falls quickly, and the heat drops dramatically as small buildings rise up in the distance. Tanna and Wash disembark and see the town—which is really a few scattered stone dwellings. A boy steps out, and the guide talks to him and the boy starts to lead them to a courtyard. Once there, Wash sees a man step from a doorway, with a live hen in his hands. Wash calls out, “Titch,” and in surprise the man lets go of the hen. Titch jokes that he’s late for dinner, but Wash can see that Titch is trembling.