The story opens with Buckmaster losing his senses in a precise sequence: taste, feeling, sight, speech, hearing. The plague reduces him to "stark, terrible, useless thought" before a strange peace settles in. This visceral description of sensory collapse immediately establishes a psychological horror that is central to the narrative.

Later, Buckmaster is on the run, hiding from police and Ruskies. The shift from internal horror to external chase is abrupt, suggesting the plague may be a metaphor or a catalyst for his current predicament. The excerpts show a man who has been broken and rebuilt, now fighting for survival in a dystopian setting.

The Plague as a Device

The plague is not merely a disease; it is a narrative tool that strips Buckmaster of his humanity, leaving only consciousness. The description of losing senses one by one—"the sense of taste was always first to go"—is methodical and clinical. The horror escalates as he screams when "the walls of darkness began to close in." Yet, after total sensory loss, he experiences a "grateful release" and a "vast happiness." This paradoxical peace hints at a transformation, perhaps the birth of a new power. The plague may be a gateway to something beyond human experience, but the excerpts do not reveal its origin or cure.

Political and Physical Pursuit

After the plague, Buckmaster is a fugitive. He is hunted by "Ruskies" and police, and his allies, like Oliver, must abandon him to escape. The dialogue is terse and practical: "The rest of us can get out—if we don't take you with us." Buckmaster accepts his fate with grim resignation. The setting shifts to a city with private elevators, drugstores, and alleys—a familiar urban landscape turned hostile. The physical action is brutal: Buckmaster breaks leather bands despite a broken arm, and later sprints across an alley to a carriage. The political context is vague, but the presence of "Ruskies" and a "General" suggests a Cold War backdrop.

Trust and Deception in a Tight Spot

When August Gamoll appears claiming Oliver sent him, Buckmaster is suspicious. The exchange is sharp: "What are you trying to do? Make a small-time hero of yourself?" Gamoll's reply—"Mainly because you have no choice"—underscores the theme of constrained free will. Buckmaster must trust a stranger or face certain death. The phrase "playing it blind" recurs, echoing his earlier sensory deprivation. This scene mirrors the plague: Buckmaster is again stripped of control, forced to rely on others. The carriage ride is a leap of faith, with the die cast "all or nothing."

Voice and Structure

De Vet's prose is direct and sensory, even when describing the loss of senses. Short sentences build tension: "He screamed. And again." The narrative jumps from the plague ward to the chase without transition, leaving gaps that the reader must fill. The dialogue is functional, carrying plot rather than character depth. Buckmaster is defined by his actions and reactions, not introspection. The story's structure—a series of crises (plague, escape, betrayal, rescue)—creates a relentless pace. The excerpts end mid-action, with Buckmaster in the carriage, his fate unknown. This fragmentary quality invites the reader to piece together the larger puzzle.

The excerpts from Infinity's Child present a protagonist who endures both cosmic horror and street-level danger. The plague and the chase may be connected, but the text leaves that ambiguous. Readers should pay attention to how Buckmaster's sensory loss informs his later decisions—and whether the peace he found in the ward returns. The story rewards attention to small details, like the name "Gamoll" that Buckmaster almost recognizes, and the recurring motif of blindness.