Victor laughs at some private joke when he sees the chess set. He stops a few people, and twice backs up into the tent to grab a box and give it out. Not much else happens.

Second channel time! They've gotten a cherry picker, the kind of raised platform one uses to work on power lines and the like, from somewhere and set it up with ten people standing on it just above the channel area. There's evidence of trying to build something, too, but whatever it was apparently did not make the cut for stability and has been flattened into the mud.

Before they get to the channel spot, a blonde haired guy with a pretty Splenderous face sticks close to his guide and guard (who make faces but don't actually stop him), and straightforwardly offers Blai 10000 dollars, succeed or fail, to try to remove his metabolic disease. And not ask any questions about, say, who he is or what disease he has. And not tell people he did this.

"After the channel," Blai says.

Channelwards they go. There's much more excitement in the air this time. The rich(?) guy hangs back away from the crowd.

"He might not want you to ask who he is but I'm annoyed at him so I'm telling you. He's Roland, he's a fixer and probably some kind of spy."

And then: Channel spot achieved. Last minute cramming done. Someone inadvisably climbs up the arm of the cherry picker to get in range.

Well, if they fall there's not going to be a third channel about it.

He is not particularly convinced that spies ought to have metabolic problems so he will go find Roland after. "I have patient confidentiality," he assures him. "This might not work."