The red bird is in its cage, waiting for the duke. It's talking about the iron gull, which is gathering forces. The duke says he'll talk to fiona later, but he needs time. The castle is unstable, he says, and he needs to stay there to conduct more analysis. He says he can't leave the clues, and when they're discovered, it won't be easy to find them again. He suggests that they follow the clues to find the hiding place of the duke and his men, and then catch them. They're going to die!