This chapter's epigraph comes from a conversation between the young master of the silverwing and his servant, who are discussing the fate of the slaves at the mine. The servant tells the young man that he is from the side of the Silverwing, and that he should not interfere in the matter. The young master tells the servant that the mine is important to the family, but that the slaveholders are lowly, and the servant does not understand why the woman would stand up for such lowly people. He tells her that if the slaves stray too far away from the mine, their bodies will explode. He asks the servant if it is possible to bring the boy with him, but the servant tells him that it is impossible, as everyone in the mine has a mark on their body. He then tells the boy that he cannot save him