Tem Ben conducts business in the back of the Paw-Paw Pawnshop, buying black-market jade while the clan war keeps Green Bones occupied and leaves criminals more freedom. An anxious Abukei man brings him a talon knife with real Kekonese jade in the hilt, likely scavenged from a dead Green Bone. Tem lies about flaws in the stone, underpays the seller, and enjoys having become the most reliable jade buyer in the area.

After the seller leaves, Tem reflects on his profitable position. He expects Ayt Mada to reward him for his usefulness as a stone-eye and imagines eventually returning wealthy to Ygutan. His satisfaction ends when a man enters the closed shop, locks the front door, and makes Tem realize he has been targeted.

Tem arms himself with a powerful Ankev pistol and tries to escape through the back door, but the exit has been blocked. The intruder creates noise in the front of the shop to misdirect Tem, then punches through the wall between the rooms, seizes Tem’s wrist with Green Bone Strength, and breaks it. When Tem tries to shoot, the attacker disarms him and smashes both of Tem’s kneecaps.

The attacker reveals himself as Maik Tar of No Peak. Maik identifies Tem not merely as a jade carver or black-market buyer, but as a White Rat: a Mountain spy and operative in No Peak territory. Maik explains that Tem’s status means the protections against killing jade-less enemy clan members do not apply, especially now that Lan is dead and the clans are at war.

Maik searches Tem’s bag, finds the talon knife, and prepares a tape recorder to document Tem’s confession. Maik demands information about the Mountain’s activities in No Peak territory, especially where Tem sends the jade he acquires. Tem refuses and insults Hilo, so Maik stops the recorder, takes up the talon knife, and begins the slower method of interrogation.