Grieving for the loss of their friend Melisandre and their failure to save Maggie Malone or prevent McCormick and Khereid-Din from activating the Fifth Switch, the heroes interrogated Mumblety Peg. With some difficulty, they learned that seven such constructs had been dispatched to help the seven candidates identified as likely to raise Cabora. Among the name of the candidates, Constanza recognized only her own name, Khereid-Din's, and Reis's. Mumblety Peg said that each of the constructs had been imprinted by the personality of the candidate it was to assist, taking on his or her values.
Although still full of misgivings, the heroes agreed to continue following Mumblety Peg's directions, and sailed towards Vodacce where the Sixth Switch was hidden under Caligari Island. Cracking on like smoke and oakum, the Maris Stella caught up with the Strange Skies after two days, unobserved in the dark of night. The heroes decided to take a long boat and row across to sneak on board and try to recover the Sword of the Nibelungen
Lucas and Constanza, bringing along Volta, sneaked to the hold with the intent to free the slaves to create a diversion, while Ferdinand and Mumblety Peg would try to retrieve the Sword from the captain's cabin. As Ferdinand approached the poop deck, the slave chained to the wheel called to him in the dark, in Castillan. Ferdinand freed him, while Mumblety Peg dispatched the Crescent crewmembers nearby. But Lucas and Constanza, who were trying to break into the slave hold, were spotted and the alarm rang. Volta ripped the hatch open and Lucas, Constanza, and him leaped down to battle the slave master and free the slaves.
Meanwhile, Ferdinand faced a naked woman who ran out of Khereid-Din's with a yowl, wielding a scimitar. Immediately behind her, an equally naked and angry Khereid-Din showed up, and the two attacked Ferdinand. But Mumblety Peg came to the good corporal's rescue, and so did the slave he had just freed. The latter turned out to be a powerful El Fuego Adentro sorcerer, and caused some serious wounds to Khereid-Din before going unconscious under the Corsair's blows, while the woman cut Mumblety Peg to size. Ferdinand used the distraction to sneak into Khereid-Din's cabin and get the Sword back, but met the Din himself on the way out.
Meanwhile, some crewmembers manned the swivel Syrneth cannon mounted on the prow of the galley, narrowly missing Ferdinand with their first shot. Miraculously sustained by the grace of Theus despite the damage taken in his fight, Ferdinand finally managed to put down the very persistent Khereid-Din and throw him overboard. He then raced to the Syrneth cannon and captured it. After a bit more struggling, the heroes and the freed slaves managed to take control of the ship. Because the galley was practically useless without rowers and would require too much crew, Constanza had the slaves transferred aboard the Maris Stella and everything of use salvaged, including the Syrneth cannon, before scuttling the Strange Skies.
The Castillan slave who had helped Ferdinand fight off Khereid-Din was nursed back to health enough to tell the heroes his story. He revealed that his name was Ernesto Castillus, a descendant of the original rulers of Castille who carried the taint of the Bargain and had been anathemized by the Third Prophet. His family had remained hidden in Crescent lands for the past two hundred years. The heroes realized how dangerous his arrival on the political scene could be for Castille, particularly if Montaigne was to seize him and use him as a puppet ruler. They explained the situation and he agreed to remain hidden for the time being. Because they had to reach the Sixth Switch before Vincenzo Caligari or Reis could activate it, the heroes did not have enough time to stop and drop Castillus and the slaves off along the way, but promised to do so as soon as they could.
Mumblety Peg had been severely damaged in the fight but was still able to communicate. With its help, Constanza managed to reach Caligari Island with all speed. She had told her companions of the tunnels she had found the previous summer, leading under Caligari's castle from a cliff face. They resolved to look for the crevice in the cliff face again.
To their amazement, when they reached the cliff they glimpsed Melisandre waiting at the top and waving at them. She climbed down the cliff face while they climbed up, meeting in the middle. Constanza found the crevice, and everyone went in to exchange quick explanations. Melisandre said that on Bryn Bresail, the ogre Gann had given her a magical gift in thanks for preserving his position with King Slanga the Vigorous. She had used this gift to transport herself away from the Island of the Fifth Switch as it sank, and to Bryn Bresail from where she had been allowed to return here to meet her companions. Although they first believed this Melisandre to be the mysterious look-alike, the heroes eventually decided that this was the genuine article.
They went along the corridors that Constanza remembered, finding the prison cell now empty. Behind the opposite door, they heard someone humming and the clinking of glass. Hearing nothing behind the center door, they opened it and found another corridor. Melisandre went ahead to scout, and found a large chamber containing another armillary sphere-like object similar to the one she'd seen on the Island of the Fifth Switch, although smaller. In the device was bound an elderly man, and Reis and a contingent of Crimson Rogers were there.
Terrified, Melisandre tiptoed back and dragged her companions back to the door so she'd be far enough to explain what she had seen. Near the door, they encountered a cackling old Strega which Constanza immediately recognized and warily introduced to her companions as (Mad) Queen Morella. The Fate Witch took the heroes to a sort of laboratory (behind the third door) and asked if they wanted her help. She was as cryptic as ever and Ferdinand, Lucas and Constanza politely refused, but Melisandre stayed behind to tell the Queen she would be grateful for any help.
Queen Morella having announced that Constanza would either kill Reis or be killed by him, the heroes advanced to meet the final battle. They were overheard, and Julius Caligari met them at sword's point, crowing over his betrayal of his uncle Vincenzo. But Reis, finally done using Julius, cut him down with his scythe before attacking Constanza. A free-for-all, epic battle broke out with Lucas matched against Joern Keitelsson and Andrei Levovich, Melisandre intimidating a dozen ordinary crewmen into dropping out of the argument, and Ferdinand (with Melisandre's help) fighting a fourth Mumblety Peg.
Constanza discovered that against Reis, the Sword of the Nibelungen was easier to wield. Reis discovered that there was in fact one weapon that could parry his scythe. They dealt each other grievous wounds but Constanza was about to collapse, when she felt the power of Theus sustaining her as it had atop the Spear of the West Wind. Reis's luck abandoned him, and Constanza dealt him the final blow. He dissolved into nothingness, leaving behind only his jacket and his scythe. Constanza collapsed, unconscious.
Ferdinand had already fallen to the Mumblety Peg, leaving Melisandre alone to fight the construct, but the thing stopped fighting when Reis was killed. Lucas had vainquished Keitlesson and convinced Levovich to walk away, but a hasty parting sneer brought Levovich back for a final blow which knocked Lucas out. However, Melisandre was able to convince the pirate to leave. She managed to bring Lucas around and left him to guard the others, then fetched the Maris Stella's ship surgeon to help her with the rest of the wounded.
The heroes puzzled over the challenge of getting Vincenzo Caligari out of the Syrneth device without cutting off his limbs. Damaging the device or causing another explosion could bring tons of rock on their heads, and endanger the thousands of people inhabiting Caligari island. They decided to wake Caligari since he knew much about Syrneth technology, but he sputtered at Constanza and refused to help. Constanza asked the remaining Mumblety Peg if it would not help her, now that its charge was dead. The Mumblety Peg changed shape to become an eight-foot tall spindly Guardian and asked: "You will assist?" Constanza agreed again. At Constanza's request, it freed an angry Caligari and took his place in the machine. The contraption started spinning more and more rapidly, and the heroes decided that the place was probably about to blow.
They made their escape, but there was no explosion behind them. After a while, they returned to the island but were stopped by Caligari troops, and eventually returned to the Maris Stella. The remains of their own Mumblety Peg, still in Constanza's cabin, thanked them and announced that the Barrier was now down. It also said that its people, created by the Syrneth to guard the Barrier, were now free and had left Cabora. Looking at the night sky, Constanza noticed that the stars looked brighter than she had ever seen them, and faint new stars were now visible in the sky.
The heroes sailed away; Lucas and Melisandre were in favour of returning to Castille, while Constanza and Ferdinand leaned towards returning to the Mirror Sea, where according to Mumblety Peg Cabora had now risen. But a new problem was soon revealed: Ferdinand had picked up Reis's scythe and jacket before running away from Caligari Island. The Syrneth colar he wore as the mark of St. Gregor's had immediately fallen off. Ferdinand had taken to wearing the jacket, and found himself incapable of letting go of the scythe.
