Ishikk, a carefree Purelaker fisherman, trudges through the shallow, warm waters with a poor catch, reading ill fortune in the lake’s irregular tides. He reaches the stilted village of Fu Abra and stops at Maib’s eatery, where their banter and a gifted kolgril fish hint at a playful courtship and local customs about debt and luck. Ishikk muses on Purelaker religion, weathering highstorms, and the folly of foreigners who avoid the water and sun.

He meets three outsiders he privately calls Grump, Blunt, and Thinker: two dark-skinned Makabaki and a light-skinned man with a scalp scar. Over soup, they press him for results in finding a man named Hoid, described as white-haired, silver-tongued, and sharp-featured, known for disguises. Ishikk lists the villages he has canvassed and reports no sightings. When they ask him to swear by his god, he corrects their breach of taboo and swears instead by Vun Makak, reflecting Purelaker practice of deflecting divine jealousy.

The foreigners argue in another language, then issue further instructions, pay Ishikk with spheres, and leave wearing awkward high boots. As Grump departs, he mutters, "What a fool’s quest this is." Ishikk heads off to check his traps, contemplating whether to let Maib "catch" him, while the unresolved search for Hoid continues beyond the Purelake.