In this chapter, we learn that the advanced brain guard has assembled a complete model of kochka, the cat. The brain guard tells Alek that he will be sent to the Europan colony, and that Alek's predecessor was killed in the enemy's attack. Alek says that he's not done playing with the brain guard, but that he won't try to become the cat when he can. He says that the secret to being a cat is how to use its inner parts to attack its prey. Alek compares himself to a rat that attacks even its own natural predator, and says that his flaws are his soul. The old man told him that the dragon-killing bone crusher of hiss was a bluff, but he couldn't use it on Alek.