Rory assists Life Mage Tanieta in her rounds to various hospices, helping the sick and wounded where they can. On this particular day, they visit a hospice operated in the name of Rinala, an outlawed aspect of the goddess Sunala. After tending to a sick woman, Rory rushes over to a man brought in – a gang member, apparently – who has been badly cut up in the intestines, and is in danger of dying soon unless extraordinary means are used to save his life. As it so happens, it is close to sundown, and Tanieta comes to take Rory back to the Guild Hall, but Rory insists that he must stay to help this man, or else he will die. As it is, it is doubtful that he will survive even if Rory does stay, and Tanieta, with some reservations – especially at the spiteful words of the wounded man's companion about the College Mages – remains behind, working a healing ritual to keep the man alive, while Rory assists.

Hours later, the man is stable and sleeping, but outside, a rabble-rouser stirs up a crowd of angry Eeee to attack the Guild Hall of Babel. Rory and Tanieta decide that the only thing for them to do – risky though it may be – is to head back for the Guild Hall, to see what good they may be able to do.