Three days after the attack, Cairo is in shambles, and Fatma is struggling to sleep. Al-Jahiz’s followers, termed the Jahiziin, have caused riots, uniting myriad groups under his cause. Fatma thinks of her father, a watchmaker, and the watch he gifted her so she would always know where she was.

Top Ministry brass has canceled her investigation, pulling in agents from as far as Alexandria to prioritize the capture of al-Jahiz. The Clock of Worlds, now stolen by the masked impostor, was built by the angel Maker and has the power to open a portal to a nether-realm. Fatma tried to convince the ministry of its danger, but they didn’t take her seriously.

Siti, now fully healed, wakes. She tells Fatma about Jahiziin attacking the temples, but being driven off by the Forty Leopards, apparently now turned against al-Jahiz. Fatma, certain Alexander Worthington is involved, fears the city may fall apart. Siti coaxes her back to bed.

On Wednesday, the king holds a summit. Fatma is assigned as a guard to prevent the impostor al-Jahiz from appearing. She and the other agents are dressed inconspicuously to blend in with the human dignitaries. Though al-Jahiz has not been sighted for days, he similarly laid low before the ministry attack—and now, with the summit, the entire structure of Egypt’s power is gathered in one spot.