The gate guards stop them from entering the gate booth. They look at their papers and their tattoos: a square with two parallel lines inside. One of them inquires about Asin and Dalia who don’t have any tattoos saying that he can’t let them through. Mart sneers but Tirad takes out another paper and shows it to the guard, a signed permission from Hurmaz allowing the two women to enter Oxan accompanied by Tirad. The guards stamp the papers and let them enter the booth. Another guard in the booth, looks inside the bags and writes down some things in his notebook. Surnat and Soushia wait for them behind the booth. The greetings are warm and friendly. Tirad explains to the two missioners about Dalia and her mother. Surnat listens but doesn’t seem to care, he continues talking to Lealy remembering the old times. Everyone seems happy of this union. Surnat’s servants take the bags from Lealy and the women and leave in a hurry.

Soushia points to Tirad’s bruises and asks how did that happen? They all become quiet for a short moment. Tirad pauses a little and says he had slipped in the boat and fell down. But he knows too well no one would have a black eye like this from falling down on the floor. He just threw out the first thing that came to his mind. And if Soushia is smart enough, he will know Tirad didn’t want to tell the truth about it, at least not in front of this small crowd. Soushia doesn’t continue the conversation. Tirad looks at them both under the light of the gate booth. Surnat hasn’t changed much but part of Soushia’s hair and beard has turned grey. Although he is younger than him, he looks older than his age. He must be one of those men who will have full, grey hair before the age of forty. It must be something he inherited from a father he had never known. It may serve him better, especially if he ever intends to enter the Circle. People always trust grey hair as a sign of maturity and wisdom. This turning of thoughts from worrying about Hurmaz to Soushia’s grey hair brings a smile on Tirad’s lips. Soushia smiles back.

Surnat leads the way and Soushia starts explaining. They have prepared a full house for them with three rooms that one of them is for the ladies. Tirad looks back to see Lealy’s reaction. She frowns, obviously not happy to be in the same room with Dalia and her mother, not even for another night. They walk slowly through the crowds that give way to them. The roofed alleys of Oxan are filled with people. Tirad didn’t expect to see so many people roaming around the long labyrinthal alleys of the island. Dalia is looking around in wonder; she seems disappointed for not being able to see the night sky through the roof of the lighted and crowded alleys. Tirad wants to explain to her that the sloped polystyrene roofs have been covering the island alleys for many years, collecting the rainwater and pouring them into the reservoirs, used for drinking water. The roofs also stop the island from being flooded by rain in the rain season, and to protect the residents from the hot, burning sun of the dry season. But he prefers not to talk to Dalia in front of the two old friends who have already started their manly jokes with Mart and Yuma. The Saviour Island has not yet built reservoirs and water collecting systems. It has not been permitted by the Circle who believe the island should remain close to the way it was in the Saviour’s time. They still import drinking water from Oxan and most of their water is produced through water generators that evaporate seawater and distil it again to produce drinking water, residing salt and other minerals. For Tirad, the sloped house roofs and the roofed alleys that turn into water streams above the island is one the attractions of Oxan. The only problem is the deafening hum that resonates throughout the island, even at night-time.