Rickar spends the night with Dennia in her quarters, savoring the rare comfort and intimacy of captivity. Walking back to his own workgroup, he realizes that even in prison life continues, with small pockets of joy that make survival possible.

Outside the lab quarters, Rickar finds Synnia sitting alone in the hallway, overwhelmed by grief for Nöl and by constant fear and rage at the Carryx. Synnia admits she cannot tolerate hearing Tonner calmly discuss helping the Carryx, and Rickar offers quiet companionship, reminding both of them of their earlier exile together.

In Tonner’s quarters, Jellit returns from secretly coordinating with Skinnerling and Kos to manufacture more guns. Dafyd asks to speak privately and probes whether the weapons plan can be slowed or stopped, framing it as concern for Jessyn losing Jellit. Jellit responds bluntly that he is fully committed to revolt even if it means execution, and when Dafyd leaves, Jellit and Merrol agree Dafyd may become a threat.

Else—the Swarm’s host—senses danger tightening around the mission, especially as Dafyd returns distressed. Alone with Dafyd, the Swarm learns he wants to tell Jellit about the Swarm spy but fears Jellit will not back down; the Swarm concludes rational argument will not move him in time. To force a path forward, the Swarm proposes a lie: Dafyd should warn the Carryx librarian by claiming Jellit sent him to ask for protection and cooperation, and Dafyd reluctantly agrees, challenging the Swarm about whether it would lie to him; the Swarm admits it would, but says it will not.

As dawn arrives, Dafyd rehearses the warning he plans to deliver to the librarian and is stopped briefly by Campar, whose humor Dafyd both resents and needs. Tonner then bursts in, demanding supplies to sketch diagrams, and after testing an idea against the window light, he announces he has figured out how to feed the “mock turtle,” pushing the group further into serving Carryx demands even as revolt and betrayal loom.