Alptraum is called to meet Vizier Thath on the day of his mission. Rather than arousing any suspicions, he visits the Coalition Tower as directed. Thath makes it clear that he already knows about Alptraum's "special dietary needs," and that he holds no ill will against him for it. He is curious about Alptraum's relationship with Sunala, and notes that Alptraum might be in a position to be a positive influence on her. Alptraum asks about the Cenestas, and Thath reveals that he knows a bit about them as well – namely, that they were the parents of a srinala that (one might imply) is the same srinala that was Alptraum's mother.

After the private meeting, Alptraum rushes off to the Streets Below, where he meets up with Autumn-Storm, and they travel through a secret tunnel that leads them deep within the Tower of Babel. They find a room where creatures are being grown – creatures that resemble the "demons" of myth. Alptraum avoids a trap that he figures a non-flier could not have avoided, and then learns from Autumn-Storm that her instructions are to deliberately break the "green beams of light" before they leave. This smells of a trap to Alptraum, and he insists that they make a change in the plan – He's fairly certain that these "green beams of light" are tied to a trap, and given the presence of explosive larvae in the room, he is fairly sure it's a very lethal one. Autumn-Storm at last complies, and they leave without any apparent trouble … though Alptraum is privately certain that they were set up, and that they can only expect more trouble ahead.