London in the Moonlight
In the beginning, the city of London at night is described as being "like the moon's capital--shallow, cratered, extinct." This tricolon of adjectives paints a picture of the destruction of the city, where bombs have leveled buildings, blasted craters in the ground, and killed a number of its inhabitants.
The Name of Kor
While Pepita thinks the name of the fictitious city sounds "like a cry," which she finds fascinating, her boyfriend Arthur says that to him it sounds "like the cry of a crow." This indicates that he does not share the same fascination; in fact, he is rather appalled by the name of Kor. Moreover, it underlines that at this time in the story he does not want Pepita to imagine a fictitious retreat when they can be together in reality right at this moment.
The Fragile Fantasy
Pepita's dream of Kor is abruptly ended by the noise of a car, which catapults her back to the real world. The simile "Like glass, the illusion shattered" therefore indicates that Kor is a rather fragile fantasy.
Callie
Arthur describes Callie as "sedate, waxy and tall--an unlit candle. Yes, she was like one of those candles on sale outside a church; there could be something votive even in her demeanour." This means that she appears very calm, but also stiff and religious to him.
Waiting for Arthur and Pepita
While Callie is waiting for Arthur and Pepita to come home, she sits "like an image," which means she is not moving at all. After cleaning the flat, preparing dinner and changing her clothes this simile either shows that she has nothing left to do, or that she does not want to do anything, as she is completely focused on meeting Arthur.
