This chapter's epigraph comes from a line in the play's opening scene, which describes a trap set up by jate, a member of the military execution squad. It's clear that this is a trap, because it's obvious that the execution squad knows where they are. They're experts at combat, and they know how to use their weapons against regular enemies. They know where they're going, so why didn't they tell the general public about it earlier? Newkey and Wasabu can't figure out what to do now that they've been hit by a bullet. Newkey says he'll use his limited armor resources to destroy the bullet, but he's going to keep moving faster than they can fire at him. He's got a better chance of winning this battle than they do, he says, because he has a better projectile, a projectile that only fires bullets made of "snot" . The bullet hits newkey in the back of the head, and he has to take a breather.