As Jahns and Marnes descend toward the lower levels, Jahns broods over Bernard Holland's pressure to appoint Peter Billings and over Juliette's father warning that Juliette may refuse the sheriff's post. The deeper they go, the more Jahns fears the trip may fail, but that fear turns into resolve: Juliette must be chosen precisely because Bernard wants someone else. Jahns also sees the larger political danger, worrying that she has enabled IT too often already and that Bernard is steadily extending his influence through the judges and now the sheriff's office.

When they reach the hydroponic gardens, a porter and the workers there remind Jahns how much labor in the silo is usually overlooked. She and Marnes store their bags, arrange to eat and stay the night, and walk through the maze of crops and irrigation. The rich smell of fruit and vegetables lifts the mood, and Jahns asks Marnes about the famous old produce theft that once consumed the sheriff's office.

The joke about the theft leads Marnes into a more serious memory. Marnes recalls how intensely Holston pursued the case during the period before Allison cleaned, and Marnes now thinks Holston may have sensed Allison's instability and needed some outside crisis to relieve the pressure building in the silo. Jahns comforts Marnes as he reflects on Holston's strain, and the conversation moves briefly back to humor when they remember that a single rabbit may have caused the entire uproar.

After a large dinner and wine, Jahns and Marnes retire to separate guest rooms, though Jahns notices with disappointment that special effort seems to have been made to give them extra space. Marnes invites Jahns to his room, where the two sit together in unusual privacy and ease, talking first about the climb ahead and then about priests, souls, and the dead. Their conversation turns personal when they discuss Holston, Jahns's late husband Donald, and whether the dead remain with the living. By suggesting that Donald would want Jahns to be happy, Marnes indirectly reveals his feelings, and Jahns leaves the room moved, sore, and aware that she may eventually feel stronger in more ways than one.