- Merlin confirms his suspicions about Dinias being poor and desperate. It shows a lot when they sit down to drink and eat.
- Merlin also learns for sure that everyone thought he'd died in that fire he started on Cerdic's dead body. Dinias catches Merlin up on the fate of people in their families.
- Merlin's getting some good info, but he's also getting something he didn't bargain for: a loud, drunken cousin. And dude keeps ordering more wine.
- Soon, people are starting to stare. And there's a particularly shady-looking group of Saxons who take notice of them.
- Merlin feeds Dinias some bull about his past. He pretty much sticks to what Dinias will believe: he's studying to be a priest and mostly copies manuscripts. In Cornwall.
- Dinias loudly asks if there's news in Cornwall about Ambrosius invading the country.
- You can bet the burly Saxons take interest in that convo.
- At this point, Merlin wants to get Dinias out of the public eye. Dinias is drunk and mean, however, and wants a game of dice.
- Merlin just wants Dinias to shut his pie-hole. So he agrees to dice and lets Dinias win some money off of him. He keeps trying to get info about Vortigern's movements as they play.
- Dinias isn't really cooperating, but Merlin learns that Vortigern is building a new fortress up by Snowdon—the place where he and Cerdic went underground into the mines.
- Merlin also learns that Vortigern is having trouble with the Saxon leaders Hengist and Horsa. And as for Vortigern's new tower? It's cursed. The walls keep falling down.
- The convo and dice game is interrupted by Cadal, who gives Merlin the sign that it's time to go meet with Niniane at the convent.
- But Dinias won't go quietly. He kicks up a fuss—and then one of the bearded Saxons takes hold of Merlin's arm. He wants to have a chat.