Chapter 5 Summary

Chapter 5 begins with part of the legendary text that tells of Sam's return to the celestial city, where little is known about what happened. He died there, attacked by one of the giant cats that wander the forest next to the city, the legend says, but he returned.

The first part of the chapter is a description of the celestial city partially told from the point of view of one of the giant cats of the forest of Kaniburrha. This forest exists under the same dome as the celestial city in the cold polar region of the planet. The large cats wander the forest, hunting, but have been charmed so they do not see the city. Should they wander into the city, they imagine they are still surrounded by forest.

The god Kubera relaxes by a pool and gossips with Lakshmi, another of...