Envoy runs across Rory, while the latter is engaged in a "shadow race" as part of the First Ones Day festivities in Caroban. Rory's creen comes in last, but he is glad to see Envoy, and they trade stories and walk along, having not seen each other in about eight years (though neither Rory nor Envoy looks any older for it). They head into the grounds of the School of Illusion, where Envoy treats Rory to a game that involves tossing stuffed foxes into a fake gooshurm's mouth, with an illusory distortion making the task much harder than it appears. On Rory's third try, he knocks the stuffed fox out of the booth entirely, whereupon it lands in a child's candy cone, then gets snatched up by a large creen. Envoy and Rory work together to fetch the doll back – Rory conjures up his shadow creen, while Envoy uses her wings. Once the creen is distracted by the shadow creen, Envoy catches the dropped doll, and returns with her prize. Rory and Envoy give the fox doll to the little girl whose candy cone had been squashed by the doll.