Corwin, Ganelon, and Lance lead an army against the dark circle. On the top floor of a tower, Corwin slays the enemy leader, a goat-headed creature. The enemy is revealed to come from the Courts of Chaos, a place far across Shadow from Amber, past where the shadows cease to follow ordinary rules of reality. Lorraine runs off with an officer called Melkin. Corwin pursues them; finding that Melkin has murdered and robbed Lorraine, he kills Melkin with his bare hands.