Cruz heads down to the Carnivale rather than raising a posse to meet the Miagani, telling the carnival folk to get into town. Fancy approaches him to ask for his help in stealing the Box, since Emmett has suddenly disappeared. Cruz says that there was a time he would have died for her, but now feels that she used him back when they were young lovers working at the Carnivale. Furious, Fancy tells him that she’s always loved him, but that her duty comes first and that he’s a fool; she runs off into the night.

Elijah goes to meet the Miagani war party, a group of braves led by the belligerent Wounded Crow, who demands that the Sheriff set free Saganawhana and Tala Pack-Sister. Elijah tries to explain that he wants to avoid bloodshed and deal fairly with the Apaches. Wounded Crow takes his words the wrong way and attacks him, only to be subdued by Elijah’s preternatural skill and speed.

Although paralysed, Glend psychically witness the meeting between Delian and Dr Caligari. He learns that Delian has owned the Carnivale for 20 years, employing Caligari to recruit unusual/gifted outsiders for the Agency – and that Caligari seeks to improve his position with Delian at Glend’s expense. As feeling begins to return to Glend’s limbs (leaving a euphoric after-effect), Fancy takes out the two roustabouts and threatens to kill him – but leaves, asking him to consider whether Delian is as loyal to Glend as he is to Delian.

When Delian and Caligari emerge, Glend threatens Caligari, but Delian orders him to stand down. As Caligari and Glend bicker, Delian orders them to cooperate in his service; he repeats his demand that Cruz be bought back into the fold, and wants the Miagani pushed into battle so that Elijah wipes them out.

In another clocktower in the middle of the day, Emmett and Sarah are threatened by the Miagani warrior-woman, but she runs off rather than press the issue. Looking outside, they see a small town dominated by a Texan fort; Emmett realises they have fallen through a rift to Fort Tribulation in 1859, twenty years earlier. Sarah thinks this is impossible, but Emmett takes it in his stride. He also notices the wood of the tower is slightly scorched where they have been standing, and realises they need to find the Miagani woman and return to 1879. When they descend, they are met in the street by a friendly Miagani who says that he has seen Emmett’s face in the Cave of Spirits – and that his name is Saganawhana.

Cruz comes back into town to find Elijah overpowering Wounded Crow, who asks what trickery this is and why the Sheriff tries to use his childhood friend against him. This confuses Cruz, who has no memory of ever meeting Wounded Crow. Elijah tells the Miagani that he is not their enemy – in fact, they know him as Killer Oak, a legendary hero. While Wounded Crow does not believe him, the warriors agree to parley rather than do battle in the street.

Cruz returns to the Carnivale and meets Dr Caligari preparing to attend the parley, accompanied by the Apache Super-Chief – bound in chains like a slave. When Cruz objects, Caligari needles him about how he left the Carnivale without a word years ago, betraying those who had cared for him. Dispirited, Cruz accompanies Caligari to the jail.

In the past, Saganawhana takes Sarah and Emmett to a hovel outside town, from which they can see both Fort Tribulation and another cluster of buildings further off. He explains that Delian Sisula is whipping up sentiment in town against the Miagani, at a time when their defences are low. The Miagani protect a mysterious power in the Cave of Spirits, but the spirits have grown quiet and the Apache tribe can no longer fight the evils of the world. Saganawhana seeks the device from Emmett’s workshop, which the spirits have said will bolster their defences. He also seeks to fight the power that resides in the orphanage outside town, an evil that walks like a man and reshapes the children there in his own form. And speaking of children – where is Saganawhana’s young nephew, Lucky Crow?

Glend lurks outside the jail as Elijah and Wounded Crow continue to talk, with the rest of the war party in the street. When Cruz and Caligari arrive, Wounded Crow reacts with predictable horror at the humiliation of the Super-Chief – Saganawhana. Glend uses the opportunity to psychically possess Wounded Crow, driving him to attack Caligari – but Cruz shoots the gun out of Crow’s hand! Undaunted, Glend/Crow lunges barehanded at Caligari, but Saganawhana protects his captor and Elijah overpowers Crow. Glend is forced out of the brave’s mind, but the damage has been done, and the angry war party starts circling the jail, preparing to attack…

Sarah and Emmett go to the orphanage and find it an oppressive place, with children crying or staring at walls and a glassy-eyed teacher who accuses them of being ‘Injun-lovers’. Leaving, they find Wounded Crow – a boy of about eight – playing with his friend Cruz. Young Cruz is friendly but a little sad, because his father – Delian Sisula – is always busy in town, rather than staying at the orphanage that he also owns. He also tells them that many of the orphans are subjected to some kind of experiments. He returns home as Saganawhana notes that the ground under the time-travellers’ feet is smouldering; Emmett realises that they are causing chronal friction due to the temporal imbalance caused by the time trip. They hurry back to the hovel to make plans, while young Cruz watches his friend Glend be taken into a back room for ‘special treatment’…