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Vecla clearly wants to argue this, but with a few quiet words, you convince her to take the high ground. She reassures Chief Kothis that the power of the grove has not been "wasted," but before they start to argue again, she apologizes and promises that she will inform Kothis in the future of any similar uses of the grove. Kothis smiles, graciously forgives the herbalist, and the people resume their feasting.

Alexius eats with gusto as he ingratiates himself with the River People. He has a talent for that, which infuriates Stralchus, who vanishes to brood. You shift at the table, weighing whether or not to follow the mystic. Therko notices, puts a hand on your shoulder, and rises to follow Stralchus. Only to keep an eye on him, he reassures you. With the surly mystic gone, the only unpleasantness is a brief argument between Vecla and her assistant, Losh, over the same thing that troubled Chief Kothis—her use of the grove to heal Alexius. You can't follow the technical details, but Losh is clearly frustrated with Vecla for making him tend the grove and with Control for making him inventory the Specular. He seems exhausted, badly overworked.

Nonetheless, Alexius manages to smooth things over between the herbalists. No one mentions Keimia, and Chief Kothis, looking better, spends the night telling stories of old travels before his father settled by the river, of fights against feathered apes and stories of the Tyrant, the savage hunter of these jungles—the creature that nearly killed you just after the Specular crashed. He has countless stories of monsters, because the monsters inhabiting this world are tireless enemies of humanity.

You don't remember falling asleep, but the next day you awaken to Control gently shaking your shoulder.

"Crowchar," she says. "It's time to repair the Specular."

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