The king of Yliyao, the crown prince, asks the general why he has brought him to the city. The king says that he wants to know if the general would like to have a game of chess with him. The general says that it is a trivial game, and that it can bring back the dead. He tells the king that he has heard rumors that the general is trying to pry secrets out of him, and the king swears that he will never reveal the general's secret to the world. He says that the last time they met, the general nearly killed himself trying to keep the secret. He asks the king if he is thinking about an old friend who he hasn't seen in a long time, and he replies that he can stay with him if he likes. He also says that if the emperor of the city were to detain him, the king would not be angry, since he is the king of the kingdom. He adds that the city has been sieged for three months, and no food has been brought in.