The chapter opens with a soliloquy by Carly, in which Carly laments the fact that his lover is always asking for more from him. Carly admits that he likes the way Carly is craving him by instinct, but he also hates the way the seasons change each year. He compares Carly to a snake that needs to be rustled to stay in his room during the cold weather. He also says that he hates the new year, because it's the last one he'll be able to enjoy. He tells Carly that he's been testing a new potion called "the house of immortality," which is supposed to "inhibit the bloody impulse." Carly says he has wanted to try this potion for a while, but Carly reminds him that he is always thinking about him. He asks Carly what he wants, and Carly tells him to tell him what he needs. He says he doesn't want to become Carly's type, but that he wants to add a "small condition" for the conversion. He wants to know if Carly knows that Carly has been worried about him, and if he knows about it. He leaves Carly alone with Carly. He tries to convince Carly not to tell Carly about his condition for conversion, saying that love can't stand the "test of time." He says that love cannot last forever, and that he knows that he has a partner, but they never know what's going to happen next.