- Sabriel, Touchstone, and Horyse depart the Wall in an Army staff car with an escort of tanks and other militia.
- Touchstone hints that Horyse, who has the Sight, may have had a vision of bad news—possibly Horyse's own death.
- They stop in the town of Bain to warn the local law enforcement, and the town sounds an alarm.
- Horyse gets out of the car and Touchstone realizes he only has a minute alone with Sabriel before the fight with Kerrigor begins. He seizes the moment: "'I love you,' he whispered. 'I hope you don't mind'" (26.44). Sabriel doesn't mind at all, and tells him the feeling is mutual.
- Horyse interrupts to tell them that phone lines in the village have been cut and a fog is rolling over the Wall—Kerrigor's controlling the weather, bringing fog to block the sun so he can march his Dead army into town. They head for the top of the hill at Docky Point as quickly as possible to see if they can find Kerrigor's body.
- They find Kerrigor's cairn atop the hill and the soldiers pry it open.