The narrator tells us that manichaeism has been around for a long time, but that it's only been in China for the last ten years. The narrator explains that the pope introduced it to the Uyghur lands ten years ago, and that it has now become a powerful force in the land. Everyone in the area knows about it, but the narrator doesn't. He's been living in the desert all his life, and he's never been outside of it. Everyone knows about the temple and the mountain, but nobody knows about his house and his family. He asks where his parents are, and his uncle tells him that he can send him home if he has a place nearby. He also tells the narrator that the journey is treacherous, and the journey will be treacherous for a child, so just bring the kid back with you.