Inquisitrix Esther, in cooperation with elements of the Guard, finds Nebo and informs him of her true identity, and the fate of his brother, Namo. Esther sents Lieutenant Shimei (of the Elite Guard) to rescue the Champion of Roses from Inquisitrix Vindicta, while she herself takes Nebo on a visit to see Arch Inquisitor Majoris Caesar Moffat. There, Esther catches Moffat with Jene Rika deMedici (wife of the Quartermaster Supreme, Barcodamus deMedici), and takes him prisoner. Ferrying him to Golgotha, Esther interrogates the poodle, then deals with him in her own way