Captain Crow takes Tress to the room reserved for the ship’s sprouter. After days sleeping on deck, the rough bed and dingy blanket look like luxury to Tress. The room has a desk and a tub for her work with spores. As Crow leaves her, Tress sees that the floor of the room is not lined with silver like the rest of the ship. It allows the sprouter to work with spores, but it also makes the room less safe. Nonetheless, an exhausted Tress falls asleep quickly.

Huck wakes her with the news that the crew had gotten a cat; Tress tells him to stay near her to keep safe. Ulaam appears, and he gives Tress more information about the sprouter’s duties, such as learning to handle roseite to repair the ship. He also reveals Hoid’s interaction with the Sorceress—the one that led to his curse. Tress realizes that Hoid is vital to her plan to save Charlie and that she had almost lost this opportunity by leaving the ship.

Ann and Fort teach Tress about the different spores. There are 12 spores for each of the 12 seas, although Fort mentions that there is a legend about a 13th spore—bone spores.