Chapter 17

Carl and Donut arrive at a production studio for an interview on the show Shadow Boxer, hosted by Rosetta Thagra—revealed to be the same person who wrote the ninth edition of the dungeon cookbook. The mysterious caprid liaison Harbinger, who previously conspired to have Carl killed, oversees the event. After Donut's interview segment, Quasar delivers urgent news about faction wars and battlefield developments before Carl's interview begins.

Carl and Donut are transported to an underwater production trailer via space station. In the green room where they'd previously met the Popov brothers, they encounter Zev and Harbinger, a towering caprid liaison from the Plenty—the same creature who worked with Maggie My to kill Carl. Quasar materializes as a hologram to intervene when Harbinger attempts to communicate in an untranslatable demonic language. Zev explains that Harbinger is present as a required liaison for the Open Intellect Pacifist Network, which owns the show Shadow Boxer. Quasar expresses frustration at the lack of advance notice and the impropriety of assigning Harbinger given his history with Carl. They proceed to the adjacent production studio where Rosetta Thagra, the show's host and a former crawler, conducts an interview. Rosetta is revealed to be a Crest (eyebrowless human) and recently freed from her indentureship contract. During Donut's interview segment about television programs, Quasar pulls Carl aside and rapidly delivers intelligence about ongoing faction wars: Carl's team's castle landed on the Lemig Sortion's battlefield, the Zerzura spell's ghoul creatures remain problematic, and the changelings have begun construction on Carl's stronghold. Quasar mentions an upcoming preproduction meeting and warns that the team will need a large army for future challenges. After Donut's segment concludes and she begins selecting screencaps from television shows, Rosetta returns in a different outfit, having changed her hair blob from yellow to red. A photograph of Carl's deceased mother and father appears above him as Rosetta begins Carl's interview by asking him to discuss his dead mother.