In the Canaan House library, Harrowhark interrupts Ortus as Ortus publicly recites The Noniad to Abigail Pent and Magnus Quinn of the Fifth House. Harrowhark is embarrassed by Ortus’s performance, while Abigail and Magnus treat the scene with friendly curiosity and humor.

Abigail shows Harrowhark the library materials Abigail has been examining, including fragments, notes, relics, and books that may contain Lyctoral traces. Abigail explains that with enough relics, blood, and identification, Abigail might be able to summon the ghost of a long-dead writer, possibly even a Lyctor, though Abigail admits the attempt would be unprecedented and uncertain.

Abigail gives Harrowhark a folded piece of paper as a scholarly gift and asks Harrowhark to examine it. Soon after, Abigail casually observes that Harrowhark carries unusually diverse spirit energy, counting at least one hundred and fifty spirit signatures stamped onto Harrowhark. This alarms Harrowhark because it touches a hidden Ninth House secret, so Harrowhark retreats and orders Ortus to avoid Abigail and Magnus as potential threats.

In the corridor, Harrowhark vents fear and anger onto Ortus, threatening to kill Abigail if necessary and demanding Ortus support any claim of justified House action. Ortus agrees calmly, which irritates Harrowhark further; their exchange turns personal when Harrowhark attacks Ortus’s poetry and bearing, while Ortus insists that although Ortus will obey Harrowhark, Ortus is still entitled to private feelings.

Harrowhark then opens Abigail’s paper in an alcove and sees a red, furious message accusing someone of giving dead eggs, lying, causing a failed implantation, sending a man after the writer, and promising revenge for pity. Harrowhark silently signals Ortus to look, but Ortus reads only a harmless invitation involving a potato dish. Harrowhark mocks Ortus’s passivity and lack of conflict, and Ortus replies that Harrowhark always needed a cavalier with backbone and that Ortus is glad Ortus never became that cavalier.