On December 15th, with three of six totems collected and eight days until phase two, Carl and Donut leave the cleansed ghommid village. Donut worries about whether Katia can evade the tiara’s forced conflict, and Carl reassures Donut that helping Katia reach the Eileithyia orchid is their first priority while they continue looking for other solutions.

As Carl, Donut, and Mongo enter Havana, Donut reports that Samantha is still trapped by the spider and that Prepotente is lonely in the Bahamas area. Carl says they are moving toward Samantha but will not arrive for days. Carl plans to move southwest out of Havana, gather useful cards, search for Sister Ines and a Desperado Club, and attend an upcoming Faction Wars planning meeting.

While traveling through Havana, Donut asks about Sister Ines, whom Donut has already insulted and threatened over chat for carding Paz and killing nuns. Carl warns that Donut’s messages may make Ines hide or attack. The group kills low-level mobs, gathers several utility cards, finds frequent saferooms, and uses the royal chariot on a clear stretch of highway until traffic forces Carl off the road.

In the suburbs south of Havana, Zev warns that the Faction Wars meeting is near. Zev also says Odette has arrived in Earth orbit and wants Carl and Donut for a live appearance in a few days, where she intends to ask something of them on air. Carl already believes, from Huanxin, that Odette wants to become their Adjutant. The group enters a saferoom disguised as a house and coffee shop, where Carl buys food from the bopca proprietor Vitasy and learns of a Desperado Club farther south.

Inside their safe space, Carl and Donut find Mordecai with a pink bow and smeared makeup on his face. Donut teases him, assuming the situation involves self-expression or prostitution, but Carl notices modified gaming equipment and realizes Mordecai has secretly hired room attendants. Mordecai admits he used Carl and Donut’s attendant slots and supply funds to hire six vulnerable changelings with compression sickness, including Ruby, to keep them safe during the dangerous end of the previous floor.

Carl understands that Mordecai protected the weakest changelings from the High Elf castle battle, though Carl is bothered that Mordecai hid the decision and used their money without permission. With Zev about to transfer them to the meeting, Carl postpones the confrontation and says they will discuss Mordecai’s actions when they return.