Councilman Turban Orr hires an assassin to kill Coll. Rallick plans to stop the assassin before he can reach Coll.

At Baruk’s house, Mammot is trapped in a deep sleep. Baruk and Rake study him and realize that he’s become trapped in a Warren inside the Jaghut’s barrow. Rake worries that the Jaghut will possess him, which will later prove true.

Meese, one of the Phoenix Inn regulars, intercepts Crokus and Apsalar shortly after they arrive in Darujhistan. She tells them they need to hide because the guards are after Crokus for killing someone at the D’Arle estate, although it was actually Apsalar, then Sorry, who killed that night. This leads Crokus to erroneously believe that Challice betrayed him by sharing his description with the guards. In truth, Meese is protecting him at the Eel’s orders because he is the Coin Bearer.

Paran and Coll reach Darujhistan, Coll barely conscious from days of riding while injured. He asks Paran to take him to the Phoenix Inn.

Whiskeyjack, Kalam, and Quick Ben plan to make one more attempt to contact the assassins’ guild before they move on to the next stage of their plan, setting off their explosives around the city.