After falling about 20 feet off of a bridge into swiftly moving water, Peyton Farquhar is able to rise to the surface and there he is greeted by the "blinding sunlight." Yet, his physical senses manage to be "preternaturally keen and alert." This is proved when he is able to see in detail all of the action taking place on the bridge. He is able to see all the soldiers running about and a rifle's muzzle, …showed first 75 words of 532 total…

…showed last 75 words of 532 total…all the images and sounds out, he just let it flow. He didn't stop to consider if it was humanly possible to see veins of a leaf or see the colors of dewdrops or hear single ripples. They were his last thoughts before his death. All imagined up and an escape from reality. In the end, Peyton Farquhar's senses are not "preternaturally keen and alert," but instead they become indifferent and dead to the world.