In a secured upper room after the coalition victory in Emul, Jasnah reviews spanreed reports and rechecks her elaborate escape and defense measures. Urithiru remains occupied, and the threat of sudden attacks keeps her vigilant. Despite her preparations, she feels frustration: years of historical synthesis are challenged now that Heralds Ash and Taln can provide direct accounts, while still offering little on the Sibling.

Jasnah reflects on her guiding principles—cutting through historical bias and using the past to predict the future—only to realize Odium’s futuresight undermines the latter. She fears planning from precedent when the enemy peers ahead from a superior vantage. Wit emerges, teasing but attentive, and Jasnah probes how to defeat a foe who can see what comes.

Wit answers with a gambler’s parable: even a cheater who knows the likely outcomes can be forced into a no‑win wager if the game is rigged to a draw. He applies this to Odium, arguing they must ensure he cannot truly win while accepting a survivable “fail state.”

Wit unveils a proposed contract for Dalinar’s contest. If Dalinar wins, Odium retreats to Damnation for a thousand years; if Odium wins, he remains bound to the Rosharan system but may rule Roshar. Jasnah notes this guarantees containment either way; Wit argues it limits catastrophe and exploits Odium’s vanity and need to perform, shifting the real battle to the lead‑up and the hearts of allies.

To operate openly, Wit suggests adding a clause naming him Honor’s liaison, protecting him from Odium’s direct attacks for the contract’s term. He frames his identity as a being who declined godlike power—“someone who is not bound.” Jasnah is intrigued but cautious, weighing trust in Wit against her paranoia, and contemplates presenting Odium with the binding terms.