During his first week in Qabr, Vis learns how harsh life in the buried refuge truly is: the air is foul, the dark is suffocating, food is scarce, and most Qabrans are thin, frightened, and quick to avoid him. Even so, the place is less crushing than it might be because Caeror makes a deliberate effort to keep Vis company, explain their surroundings, and draw him out with humor. Caeror's stories about Ulciscor even make Vis laugh, giving him his first real relief since arriving.

One morning, while they share their meager meal above the chasm, Caeror tells Vis it is time to discuss his real purpose in Qabr. Vis reluctantly acknowledges that Caeror wants him to kill Ka before another Cataclysm occurs. Caeror argues that delay is dangerous because Ka might discover that Vis is Synchronous and either hunt him down or trigger disaster early, so they must begin planning at once. Caeror explains that Ka rules Duat through priests and iunctii and is likely hidden inside a heavily guarded sacred pyramid, making infiltration difficult.

Caeror then shows Vis the Instruction Blade and explains its normal use: if it is driven into the heart of an imbued iunctus, the person holding the hilt can command that iunctus while the blade remains in place. Because Ka appears able to maintain permanent, distant control over his iunctii, Caeror suspects Vis might be able to do something similar if he is truly Synchronous. Vis, uneasy but committed, agrees to test the idea through direct experimentation.

Later, near a dangerous underground waterfall, Vis and Caeror conduct those tests with Tash, a volunteer from Qabr. Vis first proves that he can imbue Tash with Will from his khepri amulet and use the Instruction Blade to force obedience, but the experience horrifies him so badly that he vomits. After that, Caeror takes the blade and orders Tash to stay silent and still while Vis spends hours trying to override or add commands through imbuing alone. Vis fails repeatedly, unsure whether the problem is his theory or his inexperience, though Caeror remains patient, shares what Yusef once learned about resisting Ka, and mentions other hidden communities. As the light fades, Vis refuses to stop and prepares to attempt another visualization rather than leave without progress.