The disembodied voice of Silver--whom the narrator calls "the elder"--tells the young man that the book has brought him back to reality. The elder tells Silver that he and the younger man want to save the mirror array and restore the eastern lands. They want to create a world without sacrifice, where everyone can live happily and without making any sacrifices. Silver says that virtue is the heart of the human spirit, and that the world is full of people like him. He says that he has no control over the creation of gods. He and the elder will follow in their footsteps one day, and they will be the same gods as they were when they merged. Silver scolds the elder for not understanding the place where they are. The door is closing, the shackle has been loosened, and the door is slamming shut.