Chapter Summaries

Workers laying railway tracks at night encountered a sheep that attacked Old Jack, but a black-haired young man shot it before it could bite him. The young man remained wary beside a carriage as the foreman fled.

• George and Old Jack worked on Lord Banbury's railway line despite rumors that a nighttime crew had vanished.
• A sheep appeared at the edge of the lamplight, and Old Jack approached it when the other workers were too afraid.
• Old Jack stroked the sheep and assured the workers it was docile, but it climbed onto his shoulders and opened its jaws.
• A gunshot killed the sheep before it could bite Old Jack, who recoiled in terror as the foreman ran away.
• A black-haired young man with a revolver emerged from the darkness and spoke with someone near a carriage.

Isaac saved Old Jack from a sheep-like monster during a secret night shift at Lord Banbury’s railway construction site. Carlo identified the threat as Calamity Sequence No. 83, Mary the “Shepherd,” and told the workers how to make the church take their report seriously.

• Carlo sent Isaac to stop a sheep-like creature from attacking a worker, and Isaac shot its head off with his revolver.
• Isaac and Carlo questioned George and Old Jack, learning that twelve workers had disappeared during an earlier night shift.
• Carlo explained that the sheep had caused mental contamination and warned that many more of the creatures were nearby.
• George asked for help, but Carlo advised the workers to report the threat to the church.
• Carlo told the workers to identify the monster as Calamity Sequence No. 83, Mary the “Shepherd,” when filing their report.

Isaac and Carlo explained to George and Old Jack that Mary the Shepherd was a Calamity Sequence entity who transformed docile people into lambs. After Isaac killed one of her lambs, Carlo warned that Mary would come looking for it, and they fled in the dog cart.

• Carlo told George and Old Jack that the Church of the Golden Bough would take a report about Mary the Shepherd seriously because she was listed in the Calamity Sequence.
• George and Old Jack hurried to report the danger, and the workers fled toward town after the overseer disappeared.
• Carlo explained to Isaac that Mary attracted docile people and that her lambs transformed those they ate into sheep.
• Carlo revealed that Isaac had killed one of Mary's lambs and warned that she would come after it, so they climbed into the dog cart to escape.

Isaac and Carlo fled in their carriage as Mary the Shepherd and a vast flock of sheep pursued them. Carlo sent Isaac onto the roof to shoot Mary, and Isaac used the dice to steady his aim before taking her into his sights.

• Carlo and Isaac escaped in the carriage as Mary and the sheep flock chased them through the wilderness.
• Isaac checked his revolver and asked Carlo whether holy silver bullets could hurt Mary, who was powerful enough to resist them.
• As the flock surged closer, Carlo gave Isaac the dice and told him to climb onto the roof and shoot Mary.
• Isaac tossed the dice into the carriage and succeeded at a check that helped him track Mary despite the carriage's jolting.
• Isaac aimed at Mary through the strange steadying sensation, and Carlo urged him to fire.

Isaac shot Mary in the neck, stopping the flock’s pursuit long enough for the carriage to approach Vista’s safe zone, though Carlo warned that Mary would eventually regenerate. Mary replaced its severed head with a lamb’s, while the fleeing overseer heard a sheep bleat behind him.

• Isaac used three holy silver bullets to shoot off Mary’s arm, strike its hard head, and finally sever its neck, slowing the flock.
• Carlo told Isaac that Mary would grow a new head, but the delay should let them reach Vista’s safe zone.
• Mary killed a lamb and fused its head onto its own neck as the flock gathered around it.
• The overseer fled toward a monastery, worrying about Lord Banbury’s punishment if he returned empty-handed.
• A sheep bleated close behind the overseer, and he froze without turning around.

Isaac and Carlo arrived at Vista, the prosperous capital of the Western Territory, where Carlo’s identification revealed his connection to the Joint Investigation Bureau. The carriage passed through the city gate, and Isaac took in Vista’s busy streets and crowded market.

• As dawn broke, Carlo slowed the black dog-drawn carriage when they neared Vista.
• Isaac saw Vista’s imposing walls and learned from Carlo that it was the largest city in the Western Territory.
• At the gate, guards inspected Carlo’s identification booklet and let the carriage enter without inspecting Isaac.
• Isaac read the booklet’s name, the Western Territory Joint Investigation Bureau for Anomalous Incidents, and Carlo explained nothing about his affiliation.
• After passing through the gate, Isaac watched Vista’s bustling market and compared its lively crowds with Palmer’s weary atmosphere.

Isaac arrived in Vista and saw the city’s advanced railways and electrical wires before Carlo brought him to the detective agency. After settling into his room, Isaac learned that Carlo expected them to get their meals by mooching at the nearby Joint Investigation Bureau.

• Isaac saw a horse-free railcar rumble overhead and learned from Carlo that Vista’s elevated railways and electrical wires were widespread.
• Carlo brought Isaac to the agency at number 122, where Isaac found his adoptive father’s books and manuscripts stacked safely on the desk.
• Carlo showed Isaac the guest room and warned him that the second floor was off-limits without permission.
• Isaac asked how they would get meals, and Carlo said they mooched them at the nearby Joint Investigation Bureau.

Isaac settled into Carlo’s home and received his first task: find a way to dispose of the ruined carriage while learning his way around Vista. He decided to let the black dog stay, and the chapter ended with Isaac realizing the dog wanted him to give it a name.

• Carlo showed Isaac the supplies he had taken from the Joint Investigation Bureau and told him to use them or join him for meals there.
• Carlo told Isaac to spend the day settling in, then assigned him the task of finding someone in Vista to take the wrecked carriage.
• Carlo left the decision about the black dog to Isaac, who considered its strength and uncertainty about its origins.
• The black dog wagged its tail to persuade Isaac to keep it, and Isaac agreed after asking whether it would stay out of trouble.
• Isaac asked why the dog had raised its paw, then understood that it wanted him to give it a name.

Isaac named the black dog Fenri and set out to sell his battered carriage for salvage. On the way, he earned extra money by driving a couple to Glory Cathedral, where he received a tip.

• Fenri traced its original name, Fenriskul, in golden flames, and agreed to Isaac calling it Fenri.
• Isaac moved Edward's books into the guest room, found Carlo's map of Vista, and chose to visit a recycling station with Fenri.
• As Fenri pulled the carriage through an upscale district, a hunting dog cowered after Fenri glanced at it.
• A gentleman mistook Isaac for a carriage driver and paid him a shilling to take his wife to Glory Cathedral.
• Isaac drove the couple to the cathedral, and the gentleman gave him another five pence as a tip.

Isaac met Vilka, a nun of the Church of the Golden Bough who confirmed his connection to Professor Lessing and warned him about beings from the Wilderness. He then reached the scrapyard to sell his carriage, where the owner offered ten shillings.

• Vilka paid Isaac a pound to ride with him and revealed that she had known Professor Lessing and wanted to confirm Isaac was his adopted son.
• Vilka said Carlo had taken Lessing's books, gave Isaac her regards for Schuster, and warned him to be careful around beings from the Wilderness.
• Fenri reacted aggressively to Vilka, who told him to respect the master of Vista before departing.
• Isaac decided to learn more about Vilka and the Wilderness later, then continued with Fenri to the scrapyard.
• The scrapyard owner inspected Isaac's carriage and offered him ten shillings for it.

Isaac sold Carlo’s worn-out carriage, then questioned Ellie about Carlo Schuster. He learned that Schuster funded an orphanage and paid children to report what they saw around Vista, leaving Isaac aware that his own questions might reach Schuster.

• Isaac sold the carriage for 10 shillings and kept its rope to make Fenri a leash.
• Isaac met Ellie outside a grocery store and paid her to answer questions about Carlo Schuster.
• Ellie told Isaac that Schuster funded Molly Orphanage, provided a teacher, and rewarded children for writing truthful accounts of what they saw and heard.
• Isaac realized the newsboys’ reports could serve as a citywide intelligence network for Schuster.
• Ellie said Schuster welcomed others to submit reports too, and Isaac realized his inquiries about Schuster might be passed along to him.

Isaac learned about Vista’s local news and Carlo’s paperboy intelligence network, then told Carlo about meeting Vilka. Carlo planned to take Isaac to the Joint Investigation Bureau that afternoon to arrange his credentials.

• Isaac asked Ellie about Vilka and news in Vista, and she told him people were discussing repealing the Corn Laws.
• Isaac returned to 122 Red Maple Street and told Carlo that Vilka had met him, mentioned the books and the Wilderness, and sent Carlo her regards.
• Isaac told Carlo that Mr. Schuster funded an orphanage and had paperboys record what they saw, and Carlo confirmed that he ran the arrangement as an intelligence network.
• Carlo told Isaac to get ready to visit the Joint Investigation Bureau that afternoon so they could arrange his credentials.

Isaac accompanied Carlo to the Joint Investigation Bureau to register as an auxiliary investigator. Daisy Miller recorded his details and asked whether he had ever experienced an anomalous incident.

• Isaac left Fenri at home and followed Carlo to the Joint Investigation Bureau.
• Carlo teased the Bureau staff, who avoided greeting him, before selecting Daisy to help register Isaac.
• Daisy took Isaac and Carlo to the records room and began filling out Isaac's registration form.
• Isaac gave his personal details, and Carlo answered that Isaac did not believe in a righteous god.
• Daisy asked Isaac whether he had ever experienced an anomalous incident.

Isaac completed his registration as an outside employee of the Joint Investigation Bureau after revealing that he had encountered Mary the “Shepherd.” Carlo showed him the Ninth Special Investigation Section’s office and explained the Bureau’s structure, leaving Isaac asking how much authority it had.

• Isaac told Daisy that Mary the “Shepherd” had chased him, and Daisy finished his registration and gave him a temporary pass.
• Carlo took Isaac to the Ninth Special Investigation Section’s office and said a desk would be set up for him.
• Isaac examined the case files and map, and Carlo explained that its pins marked locations of anomalous incidents.
• Carlo described the Joint Investigation Bureau’s departments and explained that Section Nine operated semi-independently under his authority.
• Isaac asked Carlo how much authority the Joint Investigation Bureau had.

Carlo explained how the Joint Investigation Bureau had taken on authority from the churches and the City Police Force, with the Church of the Golden Bough supporting Grand Duke Ogway. Isaac deduced that Vilka connected the Ogway Family and the church, but Carlo withheld the nature of her relationship to Grand Duke Ogway.

• Carlo explained that the Joint Investigation Bureau could investigate anomalous incidents beyond church and local jurisdiction, and that the Church of the Golden Bough had cooperated with Grand Duke Ogway.
• Isaac suggested that the Church of the Golden Bough and the Ogway Family were effectively one and the same, based on their close cooperation and combined coat of arms.
• Isaac guessed that Vilka was the key link between the Ogway Family and the church, and Carlo confirmed she belonged to both and was a cardinal.
• Isaac guessed that Vilka was Grand Duke Ogway's daughter, but Carlo said he was wrong and refused to reveal their relationship.
• Carlo said Vilka was someone both Grand Duke Ogway and the pope treated politely, then mentioned the bureau's very old cat, Patch.

Isaac learned that Vilka wanted Edward Lessing’s books because they held a secret, though Carlo admitted he had never examined them. As Isaac prepared to search the books for clues, Carlo took him to watch the “sunrise” of Director Patrick entering the stairwell.

• Isaac asked Carlo why Vilka had tried to steal the books, and Carlo explained that she wanted their contents kept secret.
• Isaac recalled Edward’s unfinished letter and learned Carlo did not know exactly what the books contained, though he suspected Edward had encrypted his research.
• Isaac decided to examine the books himself for hidden clues.
• Carlo led Isaac to the stairwell to wait for a sunrise, then presented the bald Director Patrick as the rising sun.

Carlo introduced Isaac to Director Patrick, then took him to the logistics department to apply for basic equipment. Isaac learned that Patrick was a supernatural whose ability burned away his body hair, and that Carlo routinely let logistics blame him for missing supplies.

• Carlo introduced Isaac to William Patrick, who warned Isaac to work hard and told Carlo not to crouch in the hallway.
• Carlo explained that Patrick’s supernatural ability turned his skin into molten gold and burned off his hair and eyebrows.
• Carlo brought Isaac to logistics to apply for basic equipment, and the clerk registered the request but said it needed the department head’s signature.
• Carlo told Isaac that logistics staff blamed him for minor missing supplies because he had repeatedly taken the blame for their inventory discrepancies.

Isaac and Carlo discussed why the Joint Investigation Bureau’s cafeteria had been serving potatoes at every meal, linking the surplus to the expected repeal of Vista’s Corn Laws. Carlo explained that the potato-heavy menu reflected the grand duke’s position in the struggle between Vista’s old agricultural nobility and its rising industrial elite.

• Isaac followed Carlo to the Joint Investigation Bureau cafeteria, where the menu featured several potato dishes.
• Carlo explained that dealers were rushing to sell potatoes before the Corn Laws were repealed and prices fell.
• Carlo told Isaac that the Corn Laws protected Vista’s local nobles from cheaper imported grain but obstructed the Western Territory’s economic integration and industrial growth.
• Carlo described the parliamentary conflict between landowning nobles and industrialists, noting that the repeal faction had the upper hand but the grand duke would decide the outcome.
• Carlo told Isaac that the cafeteria’s all-potato menu was the grand duke’s stance.

Carlo explained to Isaac how the Grand Duke and the Church of the Golden Bough were dismantling the old order in Vista and trying to establish a new one before its fading afterglow disappeared. As Isaac left the Joint Investigation Bureau with Carlo, he kept wondering what Carlo meant by saying that they might need to experience the night.

• Isaac concluded that the Grand Duke was secretly encouraging the Corn Laws debate, and Carlo explained that the Grand Duke no longer depended on the old nobility.
• Carlo described how the Joint Investigation Bureau was taking authority from the churches and the City Police Force, weakening the old nobility's control.
• Carlo asked Isaac what he thought of Vista, and Isaac described its changes as the creation of a new order.
• Carlo explained the Fading Day Era and said the Ogway Family and the Church of the Golden Bough wanted to raise a new sun before the old order's afterglow vanished.
• As they left the bureau, Carlo remarked, "But without ever experiencing the night..." Isaac followed him outside, wondering what he had meant.

Carlo took Isaac home and planned to buy him respectable clothes the next day, while Isaac searched Edward’s history books for a possible hidden clue about the Great Sunset. The next morning, Carlo tried to use his dice to heat Isaac’s tea, but the check failed.

• Carlo told Isaac that understanding people’s interests and political struggles was an important skill for an investigator.
• Carlo said he would take Isaac shopping for better clothes the next morning and hinted that they would also conduct an experiment.
• Isaac examined Edward’s history books and wondered whether his adoptive father had uncovered something about the Great Sunset or hidden a clue in the books.
• The next morning, Isaac found Carlo making tea with the dice and tried to heat his own cup of water.
• Carlo rolled a check to boil the water in Isaac’s cup, but the result of 91 failed.