In the Bazaar, a wealthy noble has purchased an old ruined building and fixed it up to look something akin to a "ruined temple" as the location for a ball and party to celebrate the turn of the century. Among those gathered are Arch-Inquisitor Raphael Melchizedek, Arch-Inquisitrix Esther yod Rahab, Lancer Eclipse, the Champion of Roses, Lord Arkold, Lady Elise de Bellefeuille, Apprentice Envoy of Lothrhyn, Doctor Roho, Kensington St. Germain, the Marquis and Marquessa of Fleaufille, and a foppish fox.

Envoy and others converge on Melchizedek to chatter, and Esther "rescues" Melchizedek from the attention under pretense of a dance. Meanwhile, the foppish fox blunders into a few people, then attempts to sing a song praising Elise … but is silenced by a young Gallisian noble poodle who seems inclined to commit bodily harm against the minstrel. The fox tries to flee, and ends up getting clobbered with his own lute in a curious accident. Eclipse takes the fox away from the scene, to spare him any more indignities.

The next disturbance comes when Countess Draco of Sylvania (no longer recognized as a countess in Rephidim) tosses a glass of blood in the face of the Marquis of Fleaufille, accusing him of murdering her husband. The Marquis demands that she beheaded, and a Gallisian young noble seems ready to carry out the order, but Arch-Inquisitrix intervenes. Kensington has some colorful things to say about the Marquis, and Esther has the Korv taken off by the Champion of Roses. The countess leaves, taking flight … and then someone realizes that it's almost midnight. The Marquis is led off to "cool down" and clean off, while those gathered await the final seconds, and then cheer in a new century!