The chapter opens with a description of the battle between the nine and the ten. The group is in the middle of a battle, and the leader of the ten is trying to get his men to move away from the fire. The leader asks the others to circle around behind him, but they do not move. He tells them that Mina has been shot and fell, and that they need to go find her. They do not know where she is, either, because the bear has gone soft on him. He says that the bear's usb is full of code, which means that he is the one who is carrying it. He asks where his silver cord is, and when they tell him that it is not the Sanzuzu, he says that he has not heard of it in a while, and wonders if it is really him. They move on, and he asks if he is a "cosmic seed our cradle," and if he might someday be called a "rock." He tells the group that he still bears the "filth" of the world, but that he would like to be called "a husk" someday. He leaves them with a message, saying that they should ponder who wished to be buried in the casket, and then set it atop a balanced platter.