It´s finally the day they´re going to meet with Van
Houten. Hazel decides to emulate the way Anna dresses in “An
Imperial Affliction”. Hazel and Augustus arrive at Van Houstens
address and a man with a bloated belly and sagging jowls opens the
door.
Hazel is shocked to learn that this is Van Houten. He
is rude from the start.
He presses further he says his invitation as merely
rhetorical.
He doesn´t expect them to actually show up. Lidewij,
the assistant, is present during the meeting and admits to having
everything arranged. She thought it would be good for Van Houten.
As all this goes on, Van Houten keeps drinking a lot
of scotch.
Once he is drunk he asks if hazel intended to dress
like Anna. Trying to steer the conversation in the right direction
Hazel asks, if he recalls her list of questions. He suggests this
idea ought answer Hazels childish questions.
Finally Van Houten disavows his novel altogether. He
ridicules Hazels belief that an author has special insight into his
won character. Van Houten tells Hazel, she is being dependent on
peoples pity and a side effect of evolution.
Hazel responds by smacking Van Houtens scotch glass
to the floor. As Van Houten demands to know why Hazel silly questions
are so important, Augustus drags her outside.
There he promises to write his own epilogue to “An
Imperial Affliction” for Hazel. Lidewij follows the couple outside,
where she explains that Van Houten is the black sheep of a family
whose wealth dates back to a 17th century cocoa future.
She says he wasn´t always so cruel and alludes that circumstance
made him a monster. Attempting to rectify the situation Lidewij
suggests they tour Anne Franks house.
The tour involves climbing a number of steep
staircases. Hazel struggles through it, determined not to give up
though she nearly blacks out climbing the final set of steps.
At the top of the house Hazel and Augustus wonder
Otto Frank, the family’s sole survivor, carried on after his family
was gone.
Hazel considers Otto Frank of being a father any
more. They enter the next room, where a video of Otto Frank, speaking
in English plays. Hazel looks at him, thinking it´s not an
appropriate place to kiss but even Anne Frank kissed someone their.
Suddenly Hazel and Augustus are kissing as Otto Frank
speaks behind them and when Hazel opens her eyes she sees a crowd of
people watching them. She worries they´re angry, but the crowd
breaks into applause and shouts “Bravo”.
After the tour Hazel and Augustus return to
Augustus´s hotel room. Hazel tells him she loves him and they sleep
together. It´s not exactly as Hazel expected, but then they fall
asleep together afterwards with Hazels head resting on Augustus´s
chest.
