The fortress falls into a regular cycle and life returns to normal. Lucy has a child, in it's room Konczewski discovers an engraving of a scout being worshiped by boogeymen and thinks it's more than appropriate for his son, Bogdan finally works up the courage to propose to the bookkeeper after working side-by-side for five years, a woodworker demonstrates the importance of oral hygiene by dieing from gum rot and a metalworker is executed with a spade for his lack of tin.
Konczewski is overjoyed when a jeweler makes a large sapphire, with ruby spikes and hanging rigs of sapphire but is slightly less overjoyed when he discovers it it named 'Bestedtubes the Illness of Songs'. This inspires him to build a secret prison only accessible through his quarters and he bans the export of shotgun ammunition. Then the migrants arrive.
...
"Have you got what I asked for?" asked Bogdan, looking away from the stonecrafter.
"Yes, it took me all week to do it." said the stonecrafter, sliding a small paper bag across the table.
Bogdan opened it and looked inside, it was a coal ring encrusted with picture jasper and sapphire, it had rope reed and spider silk wrapped around it and there was an image of a rat made of limestone among reeds made of bone. On the inside the word 'Mindrend'.
Bogdan slid another paper bag over to the stoneworker, this one contained money. "Very good, let's hope it works when it counts."
...
Konczewski watched from the bunker entrance as the Blu caravan arrived in the fortress. The sentries on the wall all turned to watch them move toward the trade depot. When they reached it their goods were seized.
The sentries opened fire. Red lost one man, Blu lost everyone.