They all launch into overlapping descriptions of Hal's "subanimalistic noises and sounds" (14) to his uncle Charles, who they then further accuse of abusing Hal by bringing him to this interview, attempting to muzzle him by not allowing him to speak, and passing him off as a well-adjusted teenager when, in fact, they feel he requires intense psychiatric intervention. The deans all whirl into a panicked frenzy, thinking Hal is having some sort of seizure or psychotic episode. Clearly, the coherent sentences Hal has been describing to the reader do not correspond to the actual sounds he's making in the admissions office. This all seems more or less normal, until Hal opens his eyes and describes the looks of horror on the deans' faces. He then demonstrates his knowledge of philosophy by offering his pithy, informed takes on Kierkegaard, Camus, Hobbes, and Rousseau. Hal relays his version of the events first, apparently explaining to the deans how his application is not bought, and that he does in fact read voraciously. The narrative shuttles back to the scene in the admissions office. Baby Hal exclaims to his mother that he ate a piece of the mold, and his mother then begins to panic and call out to their neighbors for help, afraid that the mold is severely toxic and that her son is in grave danger. Orin recalls Hal toddling out to the yard while their mother does yard work, holding in his hand a grotesque clod of mold that he must have scooped from their basement. The scene in the admissions office is interrupted by a brief account of a story about Hal when he is still a toddler, as told to him by his older brother, Orin. The grades prior to that are de moi." He continues to say, "I cannot make myself understood, now.
He says, "My transcript for the last year might have been dickied a bit, maybe, but that was to get me over a rough spot. Once Hal is on his own, he manages to say a few words to the deans. He's offended by the suggestion of nepotism. leaves the room, but not without protest. C.T., speaks on Hal's behalf until the deans ask Charles to leave in order to give Hal some space to speak for himself. Hal, paralyzed by anxiety, remains silent for the duration of the meeting.
Since his uncle and his mother are both faculty at Enfield, the University needs Hal to explain, in his own words, the inconsistency between his dismal test scores and his savant-like writing and high grades, in order to rule out suspicions of nepotism. Hal's standardized test scores are abysmal, but his several personal essay responses are, conversely, off-the-charts and scholarly beyond his years. Hal is a valuable prospect for the university's tennis program however, his application poses a problem for the university's admissions department. He is surrounded by several deans of the university and is accompanied by his uncle Charles, who happens also to be the headmaster of Hal's boarding school, the Enfield Tennis Academy in Enfield, Massachusetts, where he has attended school since the age of seven. The meeting is tense, and Hal is extremely nervous, bordering on panicked.
Hal Incandenza sits in an admissions office at the University of Arizona, where he is being tentatively offered a large scholarship to play varsity tennis.
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