However, rather than panicking, the New Yorkers decide to party instead, and the mayor passes an order that the utilities be shut down once per year in a celebration known as "The Festival of Outages". Meanwhile, Lindsay, who has become curious about thr Downsiders, searches for info about the Downside's origin, and eventually finds that the Downside was created over 100 years ago by an eccentric engineer named Alfred Ely Beach, who faked his death and sook refuge to the Downside along with his supporters after being chasen away by the corrupt mayor of NY. Lindsay sneaks into the Downside and gives the information to Talon, hoping that it may bring peace with the Topside. At first, Talon is angry at this information; he soon, however, realizes what to do. He demands to the guard to be released and travels to the Chamber of First Runes, where only a Most-Beloved (the true Downside's leader) is allowed in. In the secret room, Talon sees the grave of the late Alfred Ely Beach, the forgotten creator of the Downside and the first Most-Beloved, and after having a "conversation" with him, he leaves, deciding what to do with his people. At the same time, a large piece of rock impales Gutta, and leaves her severely wounded. Railborn carries Gutta to a hospital on the Topside, and they are both labelled wards of the state. At the hospital, Railborn does a ritual swearing he would cut all ties with the Downside. Once Gutta is healed, the both of them are sent to an orphanage where they begin a new life as people of the Topside. Meanwhile, on the surface, Mark, Lindsay's father, is being blamed for the outages. The city orders his resignation, and he signs the resignation papers after rekindling his strained relation with Lindsay. As the two share the moment, an explosion is heard and felt. The explosion is actually half of the Downside, which was destroyed, and sealed up as a result, in a plan by Talon to keep the Topsiders out. The plan works, and Talon, who is now Most-Beloved, later returns to the Chamber of First Runes and leaves Lindsay's information at Beach's grave, deciding not to divulge the true origin of the Downside; he sees Beach's journal there, and though as tempting as it is to read it, Talon leaves it. Upon exiting the chamber, Talon tells the guards to never let anyone (himself included) in until a new Most-Beloved arises.