Thirty-Four

Dafyd oversees the decanting of one hundred babies from their artificial gestation sacks in a celebratory event for the human moiety. Later, he breaks Brun's arm to suppress a work stoppage that Brun's team has initiated, using Carryx logic to justify the violence as a ritual resolution to the challenge against his authority.

Dafyd suffers from insomnia, his mind churning with unresolved problems: the spy's search through archives, the Deep Lothark's questions, Campar's impending return, keeping Jellit's death secret from Jessyn, monitoring Garral Pär as a potential enemy contact, and managing tensions between Andermus and Korham. The chapter opens with the arrival of a thousand members of the human moiety to witness the decanting of the hundred babies gestated in lamb sacks. Brun, who now leads the decantation team after Tonner Freis's death, explains the procedure to the crowd and emphasizes the community's obligation to bond with and care for the newborns. Dafyd carries the first baby to its crib and witnesses the successful decanting of all one hundred children. The crowd celebrates as people take turns feeding and caring for the infants. After the decanting concludes, Brun informs Dafyd that his team is initiating a work stoppage because the Carryx have not agreed to their labor demands. Dafyd attempts to convince Brun to withdraw the challenge, explaining that the Carryx interpret such defiance as a power struggle rather than negotiation. When Brun refuses, Dafyd orders the Soft Lothark guards to break Brun's arm, invoking Carryx rituals of conflict resolution to preserve Brun's life while demonstrating the consequences of further challenge. Dafyd announces that department heads must attend a meeting in three days or face execution. The chapter ends with Dafyd returning to the nursery, exhausted and desiring only sleep.