Alptraum has more disturbing dreams, including hints that he has somehow been magically discovered, though he is unable to wake right away to do anything about it. When he does wake up, he finds out that the Temple Guard are breaking in, though the owners of the house have barred the doors leading upstairs, to make the Guards' progress more slow. Alptraum takes advantage of this delay, and further adds to the chaos by letting loose the yiffles that were brought to his room as "snacks". While the Guards tangle with the panicked creatures, Alptraum escapes out a skylight, avoiding a Vartan sky patrol, though he witnesses an Eeee being shot out of the air while attempting to flee.

Alptraum becomes lost, and eventually finds his way into Darkside, then – by accident – into a remaining segment of the Warrens, which leads him to the Old City Cemetery. In the Cemetery, he encounters a guard patrolling the grounds of the Babelite Embassy, calls for his attention, and then is escorted to the embassy, meeting Ambassador Erin Fauntleroy. He learns that Autumn-Storm also happens to be there, having sought sanctuary and presuming that Babel would be sympathetic to her plight. The two leave the embassy, heading back to the Bazaar to try to find Nekara, but they are spotted while trying to spy on the house Alptraum fled earlier, and are once again split up. Alptraum is offered a chance to hide in the wagon of a Kavi, but when the Guards offer up more of a reward than what Alptraum was willing to pay for hiding him, the Kavi betrays Alptraum. Alptraum nonetheless manages to escape in time, fleeing to Little Babel, where he is recognized by some mysterious benefactors, and taken off the street to be given a new disguise.