In this chapter, we learn that Darnay was raised in the palace by an old woman and her husband. They were kind guardians, but Darnay's father was poisoned by the old man, and Darnay has been living in exile ever since. Darnay asks the women of the palace if they can tell him a way out. They do not answer his call, and he tells them that they are "wise men." He tells them to grab him and "crack you pathetic deserters" and kill him. He says that he will avenge his father's death. He tells the women to stay away from him and to feel "sira" , meaning "mine." He says, "it's stag-gering," meaning that whoever among the men proves to be the "most worthy woman" should use his strength to get a beautiful woman. He asks Darnay if he hesitated to kill zandeh, the chief of the clan, and asks if he is the one in charge of the weaklings in the village. He answers, "what shall we do?" He then asks who the man is, and says that it is "haltash," meaning "name to be feared." He asks who he is and recoils, saying, "damn you slam, may you die at the hand of royalty, monkey." His daughter, alfarid, tells him that she is the daughter of the chieftain of the village, who was killed by Darnay in one strike.