- Because Sabriel's father is in a protective diamond, they reason that Sabriel has to cast a diamond around that diamond in order to enter Death to search for him. Because it's a big spell, Sabriel needs Touchstone's help to cast it—and still it's a huge struggle to cast the spell, which involves making marks at all four cardinal directions, though at last they succeed.
- We get a brief glimpse of Touchstone's point of view: when he looks at Sabriel after they cast the spell, he realizes he's only thought of her as Abhorsen, and "not as a woman at all…" (21.23)—and, of course, he realizes she's beautiful.
- Sabriel herself is tempted to kiss Touchstone before she sets off into Death. Touchstone, at last, acts on his feelings and kisses her on the cheek before she goes, "for luck" (21.34).
- Leaving her team vulnerable to attack in the protective diamond, Sabriel walks into Death, past the First Gate and to the Second Gate. A Dead creature attacks her, but she defeats it with her sword and traverses the tricky whirlpool to the Third Gate.
- Back in the reservoir, Touchstone and Mogget hear the sound of the Dead assembling, and know that a zombie welcome wagon means that Kerrigor is coming.