In the Great Library of Alexandria, Scythe Faraday confides in Munira about his secret mission and recruits her as his assistant. He is searching for the Land of Nod, and although Munira is doubtful such a place exists, she agrees to help him look. They research the early scythe journals in hopes of uncovering a “secret place” where the founding scythes might have gathered. Just when it looks like their efforts are all in vain, Munira studies a map of flight patterns across the globe and discovers a “patch of blue” in the Pacific Ocean that planes never fly over, and Munira guesses that “no planes have crossed this airspace since the scythedom was founded” (314). They have uncovered an unnoticed spot in the Thunderhead’s massive field of vision, and Munira and Faraday are “the only ones who know about it” (315).

As Winter Conclave approaches, Scythes Anastasia and Curie journey to Fulcrum City (formerly known as St. Louis). Scythe Curie takes Citra to see the remains of the Arch of St. Louis, which was destroyed by terrorists in the mortal days. Scythe Curie wants to “[remember] the things [they’ve] lost” as a society but also to remember “how much better [their] world is now than in mortal days” (318).