In surviving the jungles of Transall for a few weeks, Mark has overcome starvation, thirst, injury, and attacks from various animals. As such, he feels thrilled and triumphant when he manages to kill the wolf-like Howling Thing—saving Leeta in the process. This kill constitutes an important turning point for Mark, as it makes him feel that he will be able to survive after all.

Mark uses the claws of the vicious beast to make himself a necklace. Leeta’s tribe, the arrow people, are impressed when they see this necklace; it becomes symbolic of Mark’s courage and skill as a warrior. Mark tells the story of his triumph, and it is told on his behalf, numerous times while he lives with the arrow people and then the Tsook. The killing of the Howling Thing frames Mark as a capable warrior—and may very well live on in the form of the arrow people and Tsook’s storytelling (among Mark’s other deeds).

When Megaan’s younger brother Barow gifts Mark a Coca-Cola bottle for his induction as a Tsook warrior, it informs Mark and the reader that Transall is not what it seems. Mark assumed the tube of blue light had transported him to a different planet, considering its strange animals and vegetation.