Zoltan, back from his journey to Shabar to visit the Champion of Amber, watches over the renovated and greatly expanded Shiny Shoppe in Rephidim. He is paid a visit by High Prince Boghaz (once "Captain Boghaz"), who agrees to give Zoltan the portrait of Shokar from the Freedom's Dream, the next time the hippogryph visits Babel.

A white Vartan drops by, offering Zoltan an item of great worth, in exchange for directions to find Paradys. Zoltan, however, refuses to give up the secret, despite the great value of this artifact – keeping true to the concerns of the Paradysians.

Pouncer and Enos, Zoltan's two adopted cubs, come home from the Temple Scouts, showing off Pouncer's new acquisition for her bug collection, and the paper masks they made as crafts. A tan hippogryph (by the name of Tan) drops by as well, to claim the reward Zoltan put out for any information someone might have on the whereabouts of his father – who is believed to have been in Himar at the time that the Bomb was dropped. Tan has been there, and shows Zoltan a map he drew of an area where several survivors are fighting over scraps of metal. Zoltan gives Tan the reward – a copper's worth of shinies from the shop – as well as some money for the map, and a promise to put in a good word for the young Vartan if he tries to find a job in Rephidim.