When Grant arrives for his first solo visit with Jefferson (Chapter 11), Sheriff Guidry is there to meet him instead of the chief deputy. After Grant's brief conversation with the sheriff, Paul, the young deputy, escorts him to Jefferson's cell. As Grant urges Jefferson to eat some of Miss Emma's food, Jefferson initially ignores him. Then, as Grant watches in amazement, Jefferson gets down on his hands and knees, puts his head inside the bag of food, and proceeds to show him how a hog eats. Not wanting the sheriff to know that his visit has been unsuccessful, Grant decides to stay until the end of his allotted hour, half-heartedly attempting to engage Jefferson in conversation. Upon leaving, he tells Jefferson that he will tell Miss Emma how much he (Jefferson) enjoyed her food. As Paul escorts Grant back to the office, they talk briefly about Jefferson.
Reluctant to tell Miss Emma about his visit, Grant stops by the Rainbow Club on his way home (Chapter 12). At the club, he finds Joe Claiborne and two old men discussing their current hero, Jackie Robinson. As he listens to their conversation and watches the old men dramatize Jackie's stealing bases and sliding into home plate, Grant recalls a time when their hero was Joe Louis. He also thinks about "the little Irishman" who introduced him to James Joyce's short story "Ivy Day in the Committee Room." After leaving the club, Grant stops by Vivian's school to tell her about his visit with Jefferson.
