The first part of Chapter 18 covers the excitement and preparations leading up to the Day of the Gathering. The villagers finish projects and desist from their usual bickering; some even wash themselves in preparation for the occasion. Thomas oils and re-oils the staff, and Kira visits Jo—who has stopped crying and asking for her mother—every night.

Kira has finished the repairs to the robe, and during one of Jamison’s visits, he sings her parts of the Ruin Song that correspond to the places on the robe that were the most challenging for her, such as the scene depicting skyscrapers, which she had never heard of, much less seen. He also tells her about the Singer’s preparations: he spends the entire year, every year since he was a child, rehearsing the Ruin Song in seclusion. Then Jamison tells her that after the Gathering, she’ll “be able to start dyeing new threads for the robe” (192). Kira is upset by the news that she will not be returning to her own work, but she knows that she cannot express her displeasure while Jamison looks at her “as if he dared her to refuse” (193).