Kalam and Salk Elan stand on the deck of the Ragstopper. The ship heads toward Malaz Island, which is now a blurred smudge on the horizon. Elan speaks of the birthplace of the Malazan Empire in romantic terms. Kalam assures him it is "a pigsty by the sea" and a "rotten, festering bug-ridden swamp." The ship's captain remains indisposed. Kalam admits that he has contacts waiting within Malaz City and Elan startles him by suggesting they await at Smiley's, the infamous tavern once owned by the former Emperor. The assassin corrects him. His contacts will meet them at the Deadhouse.