Leeta returns to the Star-marked box, and looks at the other books it contains. She finds several primers; a book on the armour and weapons used by the Silent Ones; a Stellar Atlas of all their worlds, and others, such as the human and reptilian worlds; and she finds a romance novel.
She spends some time reading the novel, finding it to be a story about noble knights, flashy weapons, and mistaken identity. Digging deeper, she finds the battle robes of the Silent Ones priest – and a weapon, The Holy Hand of Purification. She daydreams a while longer, then returns to Tahir.
She speaks with her human friend about what she has found, and the distress it causes her to know that the ancient priests would not approve of her, or Tahir. The candidate comforts her, and goes on to answer the savanite's other questions about the expedition. Sinai is a planet of many wonders from a vanished race, and none of the subsequent cultures could be allowed sole access, so a joint venture was agreed upon. Tahir also has other bad news, the only compatible power source for the food dispenser is the one in the speaker glove. Leeta is not as upset about this as the human suspected she might be. The cheetah leaves with a bit of bread Tahir saved for her, and goes looking for Naoko and the cubs, to share some of it with them.