Highlark arrives at the cell to tend Viv's reopened wound, scolding her for fighting in the streets instead of resting and reading as he'd advised. He cleans and rebinds the injury, noting with surprise how quickly the deeper tissues have healed. He also sizes up the silent man in gray, offering to treat him, but Iridia dismisses the concern and escorts him out.

Left in the cell with Gallina and the unmoving stranger, Viv stews over the danger of releasing the gray man with his magestone intact. To break the tension, she questions Gallina about why she's still in Murk waiting on Rackam. Gallina pushes back, pointing out how hard it is for someone like her to be taken seriously by mercenary outfits, while Viv is assumed competent on sight. The exchange leaves Viv momentarily speechless.

Fern unexpectedly visits, having bribed Iridia with food from Maylee — biscuits and lassy buns — and bringing Viv her copy of Sea of Passion. Fern reports that Potroast is fine and warns Iridia to watch the man in gray. Viv shares the food with Gallina, who then bargains: in exchange for Viv reading aloud, Gallina promises never to bring up rescuing her again. They settle on two chapters.

Viv begins reading Sea of Passion aloud, fielding Gallina's interruptions about vocabulary and voices. The gnome falls asleep within a few pages. Viv flips ahead to her own place in the book and reads silently until exhaustion overtakes her too, and she drifts off with the book open on her lap.