Leeta and Tahir finally arrive at Tarsus Sky Island after a long journey intended to confuse pursuers. Tarsus is indeed a place of wonders as the Astromancer and his slave wander through it, however the biggest surprise comes as news from one of the Technopriests; Slaves have been given rights in the Nagai Empire.
Leeta discusses this with Tahir, trying to decide what it could mean, and if it is Jezebel's doing, while one of the Savanite cubs that hid in the elevator plays in Tahir's room. The conversation continues, and soon they are both distracting the cub. Leeta takes a moment to go through the things she took from Rhys' room, and ponders the possibility that the other Astromancer candidate is simply lonely. Her solution is to try to get Naoko to leave the cub with him. Finally she decides to take the little guy back.