Before the parlay, Donut climbs into the ornate howdah on Simoom, Ferdinand’s albino rhinoceros, while Kibben helps manage the mount and the jealous pets. Mongo and Rend complain about Donut riding another animal, and Kibben agrees to keep them occupied. Donut struggles with Simoom’s controls and complains about the slow, smelly mount, but Carl reminds Donut that using a mount comparable to King Rust’s was Donut’s idea.

Carl and Donut leave the castle and move down the damaged hill toward the enemy. Carl notes the fortified bunkers, heavy weapons, traps, and earthworks teams positioned around FUPA, but Carl remains uncertain that the defenses can withstand the massive army. Carl’s goal is to delay King Rust long enough for allied maneuvers to matter.

In the warlord chat, Florin reports that his forces captured two enemy armor pieces from the Operatic Collective: powerful tracked vehicles called Weepers. Florin warns that Rust’s army likely knows the armor regiment was lost and will attack soon rather than risk being trapped between Carl and the 101st. Florin says Katia and Bautista are helping keep the west open, possibly preserving a retreat corridor into Shanty Town if FUPA is overrun.

As Carl and Donut approach, King Rust waits alone on a huge swamp yak, looking physically massive but exhausted, slumped, and possibly injured. A new orcish adjutant, the grixist Judge Deng Bao, appears beside Rust. Carl tells Donut that Carl will talk first because the plan is to buy time, then provoke Rust into making mistakes once stalling is no longer useful.

Victory appears and explains that a parlay shield surrounds the two sides. Inside the bubble, saferoom-like rules prevent physical or magical harm, and the shields will disengage after the participants separate. Victory identifies Judge Deng Bao as an experienced, impartial adjutant and galactic judge who once taught Victory taxation law. When Donut opens the curtain to look at Rust, Donut notices something unexpected: the orc king appears to be crying.