He lets her go.

She needs a chance to cool down, so she can have one.

He decides to give his mother some more time alone.

She continues to plan. From what she remembers of the cadavers she dissected, installing a tongue, lips, and lungs to speak would be prohibitively complex, especially given the clumsiness and slowness of the dead. The best of her ideas so far is a set of embossed letter-stamps for a strip of carbon paper and paper to press against, rolled into position by a wheel, using mostly the same components and connections that extend the muscle-like responsiveness to will to the radio's controls.

(And perhaps when it's done and all the dolls who want to return have been destroyed, and she's made up for designing them in the first place and everyone knows it, she can get to really know Edgar and his fiancé, and they can go out and see everything that's changed about the town. He's made so many dolls, nobody would even stare. And maybe Jasper would have had a change of heart, and waited for her, and they could both go back together.)

Edgar returns (to see his mother!) after giving her some time to think. He knows she does her best thinking undisturbed; his father never interrupted her work.

"Mother? Have you thought of something?"

"(yes) speech muscles, complex fast not good for dolls. raised letter, carbon paper, positioning wheel, lever for pressure, small change from radio control design."

"I'm sure we can do that at low cost. I think I'll leave providing the carbon to the buyers, but we can invest in this."

"Good. We should do a test to make sure it works without unexpected problems. Once they are developed, they should cost less than a radio, without a receiver, recorder, and player. Will need to install other wiring, I made some connections through it."

She turns to look at him. She's improved at moving the doll. "All the dolls will be able to say if they wish to go back."

"...go back?"

"To the afterlife. If they have not created codes. Many might want to return."

"I see. There is an afterlife, then. I had my doubts."

"(yes). I did too. I was there and still do."

"Do you not want to go back, then? If you still have doubts."

"I do. But I have things I need to do first. And people I want to spend time with. After (yes)."

"Do you expect most dolls to feel the same way?"

"(yes) but I do not know. They should be able to say, if so."

"I was hoping I could make living humans immortal, someday. Do you think I shouldn't?"

"(no), I would not miss it if I had not been. If you can, I think you should."

"I see."

He doesn't.

"Thank you, mother. Did you want to meet Jasper?"

...

"He is still here? (yes). If he will see me."

"I promise I'll ask him. He's visiting with Fay right now."

"His daughter. It can wait. Is his wife back?"

"No. It didn't seem as useful to have her around. Should I reconsider?"

"(No). She should stay."

"If you insist."

He chuckles.

"I suppose I should update you on current events."

"(Yes). Please do."

He tells her about the string of robberies plaguing their city, mob politics, and the recent developments in the field of botany.