Shae travels by slow bus to Marenia to visit her mother, Kaul Wan Ria, at the family cottage. The quiet seaside town, where no one is a Green Bone, gives Shae temporary relief from Janloon and from the clan war her brothers are now fighting without her. Shae practices with the moon blade at night and reflects on how living in Espenia taught her that other countries function without jade, clans, and ritualized violence.

Shae finds her mother's company comforting but depressing. Ria lives passively, avoids strong opinions, and treats Lan and Hilo's violent clan duties as unfortunate but ordinary male troubles. When Shae asks whether Ria is happy, Ria says she is relieved to be away from Green Bone troubles and suggests Shae understands because she took off her jade and left.

Ria's words lead Shae to remember why she fled Kekon. Years earlier, Shae had helped Espenian military contacts introduced by Jerald by answering questions about Kekonese politics, the KJA, jade exports, and Ygutanian activity. Shae took pride in having information and relationships outside her family, but Kaul Sen condemned her for endangering the clan, forced the Espenians to stop contacting her, and had Jerald sent home. Humiliated, Shae followed Jerald to Espenia.

Shae returns to Janloon calmer and determined to find meaningful work, partly out of fear of becoming like her mother. After realizing she left her keys in Marenia, Shae tries to get help from her neighbor Caun Yu but finds his apartment nearly empty. Suspicious, Shae breaks in and waits, then confronts Caun with a talon knife when he returns. Shae discovers Caun is a jade-wearing Finger assigned to watch her, and she orders him to call Hilo.

Hilo arrives amused at first, but rebukes Caun for failing such an easy assignment and sends him to report to Maik Kehn in the Docks. Shae angrily accuses Hilo of invading her life, but Hilo reveals that Lan ordered protection for Shae after Gont Asch kidnapped Anden on Boat Day, presented him to Ayt Mada, and used him to pressure No Peak over a proposed shine alliance in Ygutan. Hilo argues that Shae cannot live as an ordinary person in Janloon while remaining a Kaul, especially now that No Peak is at war with the Mountain.

Shae rejects Hilo's protection and demands that his men stay away from her. The argument wounds both siblings, and Shae leaves despite still being locked out. When Shae returns later, the landlord is waiting with her bag and a spare key because Hilo arranged it; now aware she is a Kaul, the landlord becomes deferential and offers her better accommodations, reinforcing Shae's inability to escape clan identity.