Chapter 69

Carl meets with Signet before the Butcher's Masquerade party to discuss her planned assassination of Queen Imogen. Carl convinces her to delay her attack until the end of the party rather than strike at the beginning, reasoning that the world's controllers would prevent her from succeeding if she acts independently. Meanwhile, Carl examines mysterious sponsorship items intended for Donut and discovers hidden symbols on two of them, raising ominous questions about what the sponsors expect to happen.

Carl and Donut approach the settlement where the party will begin. Carl finds Signet alone, stroking a butterfly and expressing exhaustion with the approaching end of days. They share an intimate moment before discussing their plans. Signet reveals she has positioned soldiers to assault Queen Imogen when the brambles hit the elven border, but Carl warns that Imogen knows an attack is coming and it's a trap—the world's controllers won't allow Signet to kill the queen if she acts at the start of the party. Carl proposes a revised plan: Signet enters the castle and waits for his signal to attack Imogen at the end of the party instead, when they can all fight her together. Carl acknowledges to himself this is a lie meant to keep Signet as a reserve asset, though he hopes it increases her survival chances. Signet agrees to the modified plan.

Five hours before the party, Carl examines five sponsorship items from the Apothecary, all intended for Donut: a recharge wand scroll, a tiara, sheet music, an Enchanted Hammer of Fast Forward (given by Imani), and an Enchanted Stick of Cascadia's Screams (given by Dmitri Popov). Carl discovers hidden symbols—the number seven—etched on both the hammer and the stick, which disturbs him. He suspects the sponsors expect everyone else to be dead, leaving only Donut to survive. Carl considers fleeing via the nearby stairwell but decides they must proceed because they need the others to survive the ninth floor. The group prepares to depart for the invisible border to meet the escort caravan, with Donut practicing a talent show dance number outside and various crawler children and creatures causing commotion in the guildhall.