The metabaron arrives just in time for breakfast. He's been waiting for 33 minutes, and it's now 24.2 seconds since the last time he saw the master. He tells the professor that he never thought the master would do what he did. The professor shows him the chronomatrix, which shows that the scar is exactly two months old, seven days old, three hours old, and twenty-four minutes old. He also says that if they don't get back in time, the planet will "attack" . He says that he'd hate for the nuns to "dissolve you ! . . i would hate to see them disintegrate you !" The professor says that the object of their visit conforms to the rules of the convent, and that they need to be assured of aghnar's faith. He asks why they haven't amputated him yet, and the professor explains that he hasn't yet fully recovered from his wounds. He goes on to say that they're going to take his son to honorata ASAP.