In the cavern of the star-vestige, Gurgel reminisces about the time he stole an apple from a man who was holding a baby. Gurgel tells the story of how he was pursued by the king, who wanted Gurgel's son, "Gale," for adoption. The king's first wife died shortly after giving birth to the baby, and Gurgel was worried that the baby's father would die and leave him with no one to care for him. He and the king went over all kinds of arrangements for the child's care, including adopting him. The boy grew up to be an imperial soldier, but he still enjoyed playing with Gurgel and his family. The prince's wife died after childbirth, and he was afraid that her death would leave the baby without a father. He didn't want to leave his son without a caretaker, so he put the baby up for adoption, hoping that the king would come to him and adopt him as his own. After Gurgel died a year later, the king and the prince went through all sorts of arrangements, including giving the baby to Gurgel. When the prince came to live with his family, he was happy to see that they were all happy, and that he was still able to play with them. He was also able to remember that he had met a lot of people there, including some who had died and some that had grown up. The stars, he says, can turn memories into collective ones. He tells Gurgel that the world is coming to an end, that the imperial capital has been destroyed, and the rest of humanity will fall to no resistance. The only thing that can stop this is for the world to unite.