This chapter opens with a brush stare. It's a bright red jewel, a ring, and a pattern on the band around the ring. The ring is a promise ring, which means it's been promised to someone. This ring is supposed to be a symbol of love between two people, but the ring isn't a promise at all. It just looks like a ring with a pattern around it. The narrator asks the ring's owner if he's done anything wrong, and the ring answers that he hasn't. He asks if the guards have taken control of the man guarding him, or if the heavenly being has lost all his powers since the war? The ring doesn't answer the first question. It does, however, answer the second question. The jewel appears to be red in the red tense, and that's the way it is in the palace, so the ring is not a promise. This is a big deal for the narrator, who's never heard a man say something like this before. He thanks the ring owner for giving him something important to think about. He's also happy that the ring reminds him of his own love, which is always there to protect him. He wonders what else he can learn from this ring.