Fone and Smiley are still lost in the forest. They’ve run out of road rations, and neither of them has bathed in quite some time. Their surroundings are unfamiliar; they’re even more lost than they were before. They accidentally disturb a gopher, who recalls rumors that Fone Bone has killed Kingdok. Fone and Smiley argue that the last time they saw him, he was still alive.

Ted arrives. They ask him if Thorn is okay, and he recounts the events of “On the Dragon’s Stair.” He also tells them that the smoke they saw earlier was Barrelhaven burning. There have been no casualties yet, but many Valley-dwellers are now homeless. Ted leads Fone and Smiley back towards town.

Thorn leads Phoney’s dragon-slaying party back from the Dragon’s Stair. She has just rescued the Tanner Family. Thorn sends the Tanners to a nearby camp. Wendell becomes furious with Phoney and insists on “string[ing] the little runt up right now!” (734), but Thorn forbids it.

Thorn leads the party to Barrelhaven’s ruins. The villagers blame Phoney for the destruction. They believe their neighbors are dead. Thorn picks through the wreckage and recovers Kingdok’s club. Euclid seizes Phoney, but Thorn stops him from attacking. Jon slips away from the group.