A Hologram for the King Chapter 24 Summary

  • In the morning, Alan rides the shuttle to KAEC. He feels on. He's going to find out when the king is coming, for sure.
  • His co-workers recognize that Alan is feeling cocky, but even he can't figure out what's gotten into him.
  • When he gets to the Black Box, Alan finds that Karim (his point-of-contact) is in New York. He loses his chill and pushes his way upstairs to see Hanne.
  • Alan thinks he's feeling manically strong because Dr. Hakem has pronounced him healthy.
  • He can't find Hanne, but guess who he runs into instead? Karim. The guy who's supposed to be in New York.
  • Alan thinks Karim looks like a movie villain—very polished and well-groomed.
  • Karim tells Alan that Reliant is their #1 vendor! They just love Reliant! Alan takes the flattery, but insists on having their practical problems solved pronto.
  • Karim is most obliging, promising to fix everything wrong. But he can't do anything about Abdullah's appearance. It might be days; it might be months.
  • Alan spots a yacht moored in one of the newly dug canals outside the Black Box. Karim arranges for Alan to take it out for a spin.
  • Alan remembers all his years of corporate privilege, when he was allowed to drive expensive vehicles just because of his position of influence.
  • The boat ride puts Alan in a great mood. Karim's not such a bad guy after all, it seems.
  • Now he gets a new idea: he'd love to stay at KAEC and watch it grow. Alan's so sure he's going to close the deal for Reliant that he's already counting his profits.
  • Back at the tent, Alan motivates the young crew with Karim's promises. And sure enough, things get better for them (Yay, wi-fi!).
  • They're able to do a test run of the hologram with people from the London office. Everything works beautifully.
  • We learn how Reliant developed the technology—and of course, it involved outsourcing to make the prototype—first Korea, then China.
  • Alan's feeling supremely confident in their ability to win the contract at KAEC. It helps that the triumphant youngsters now look at him with respect, since he was able to solve their problems.