As Daniel plunges deeper into despair, his blindness takes hold. A parade of horrific images begins to pass before his mind, mirroring the events that led to this crossroads. These included the political rise of Ariel Sharon, the Palestinian Intifada; the election of George W. Bush as American president (with the apparent complicity of the Florida Supreme Court); the atrocities of 9/11 and the subsequent atrocities in Afghanistan, Iraq and across the world. (Aria: "These?") Daniel's sense of responsibility intensifies. His ability to act is paralyzed by his loss of Leila, whose unfinished poem on the struggle for freedom and justice was his inspiration.