“A full-grown man shot upright in a spray of sand, and my heart must have stopped beating for ten seconds. Built like a grizzly, he was coughing and swearing and spitting through a long, caked beard. On his chiseled block of a head he wore (I swear) a flowered plastic shower cap. Even weirder, his left eye and right eye were pointed in totally different directions.” 

The first encounter between Richard and Skink sets up their relationship. Skink is an eccentric man who Richard struggles to understand. His physical appearance paints him colorfully from his first appearance. However, his intimidating demeanor is also clear. 

“It was like traveling with a space alien.” 

This simple line establishes the way Richard views Skink at the beginning of their journey. Skink is out of touch with the modern world, but Richard is intrigued by him. Richard’s view of Skink sets them up as foils, giving them another obstacle to overcome on their journey: their inability to fully understand one another.

“I explained that my father had loved Dylan and lots of old bands, and that the day after Dad died, I’d downloaded his whole playlist to my iPod.” 

On their trip, Richard and Skink find common ground. Without Skink, Richard cannot complete his hero’s journey. To work together, they must better understand one another. Richard’s knowledge of Skink’s musical favorites is a moment of discovery; they have more in common than they realized. At this point, Richard’s identity revolves around his deceased father. This nostalgia bridges some of the gaps between Richard and Skink.