On the seventh day of Canada's disappearance Ukraine consults England about things that can spirit away nations. England tells her about those more magical than the nations, those who represent those forces they cannot control or comprehend. He has made pacts with many of them and cannot face them down, cannot make them return Canada to the world of the material. Ukraine cries at these words, for all sadness brings tears to her eyes, but she is not discouraged and swears to England that she will find Canada and bring him to the material world again. And so England gives her a map and tells her that to reach the world beyond nature she will need many things from many nations. As she leaves he kisses her forehead for protection against those he has made pacts with and gives her an egg-shaped stone that had once been a dragon's egg, from the days when England could still speak with the great dragons in his land. And before she can leave he presses a book of spells into her hands and tells her how to use them.
Ukraine goes to France next, tells him of her plan to rescue Canada from the clutches of the spirits beyond nature. France believes none of her tales, but nonetheless listens to her words. When she is finished he laughs at her folly, for believing England's fairy tales, and she cries when he mocks England's advice. France stops laughing then, although he still will not recognise her story as truth. He asks for the map she was given, for she cannot understand it as more than drawings and a vague map of their old borders, when they were all kingdoms and fought like children for scraps of land. But France can read and understand the map, and he writes out explanations for her. She must meet seven countries with seven magic items, and when the moon is new she must wait seven hours in a circle of the items, and then the door to the world beyond nature will be open to her.
France gives her what she needs for her quest: a lock of hair from the Dame Blanche of Pont d'Agnot, which he won from her when he out-danced her three hundred years ago. Ukraine takes the lock and leaves France to follow her map. She is lead to Lithuania, who welcomes her and her quest with an open mind and frightened heart. He will not provoke the spirits that control nature and risk being tormented by them as he once was.
Ukraine stays with Lithuania three days and three nights, for she needs him to help her. She plies him with begging and weakens his resolve with tears that are only halfway sincere. But Lithuania only considers helping Ukraine on the fourth day, when she promises to keep his help a secret from all. If there is a spirit of truth in the world beyond nature, she will lie even to him to keep Lithuania safe. And as the fourth night begins he gives Ukraine a feather from the owl that belonged to Giltinė, the death spirit he had wrestled when he was still only a child. And Lithuania apologises for his fear, but Ukraine only repeats her promise to keep his help a secret.
Ukraine goes to India next, as the map says, but India herself is scornful of England's magic and knowledge. Trusting his words, Ukraine defends him as best as she can. England's map is ancient, made in a day when magic was still in every breath of air and drop of water. India mocks the map and England, but she gives Ukraine only pity and guidance. England knows more than most about the world beyond nature, but only through those he has made pacts with. They hide much of what they know, India explains, but she has been to the world beyond nature seven times, and she knows what dangers lie there that Ukraine cannot anticipate.
There is a gate that she must pass through, but to do so she must sacrifice something dear to her. Beyond the gate stands a guardian, who must be bribed or threatened into letting a near-immortal pass. And then there is the monster that will be constantly poised to attack her, but never will. But if she shows a trace of fear, the monster will steal all emotions in her heart. Passing those three trials will enable her to find the one that stole Canada away, but India cannot advise her on what to do to win him back.
Still, her words are helpful to Ukraine, and when asked India supplies not only a mask made of naga scales but one of her perfumed shawls which will allow Ukraine an hour of invisibility in the world beyond nature. India lets her leave with a warning: those from the world beyond nature will not simply trade away that which they've taken for their own.
Ukraine turns south and back west, and soon she's on the Seychelles. She arrives exhausted and dirty and upset, for all her travelling has strained all of her strengths. Seychelles sees this, and when Ukraine asks for the magic she needs to open the door to the world beyond nature, Seychelles only agrees to do so if Ukraine stays on the islands a while and grows strong again. She agrees and the girls spend their days swimming and soaking in the sun. They drink sweetened coconut milk and sleep nude on the sands of a desolate beach. In time Ukraine grows strong again. The ache in her shoulders and back fades as she floats carelessly in the warm salt waters near the shore and her tightly wound mind loosens into gentle curls she can pick idly through.
She does not realise how long she's stayed, how little time she has until the new moon, until she has been with Seychelles seven days. Then Ukraine realises that she must leave, although she has come to love the island dearly. Seychelles gives Ukraine back her travelling clothes, now clean and smelling fresh and sweet, and also gives her the husk of a coco de mer, her deepest, sweetest magic. Now there are only two more treasures to gather, but she has little time in which to receive them.
She rides a boat northeast, and she stops when she has reached Japan. He welcomes her politely and when she explains her plight he nods and accepts what she has to say. But he is hesitant to believe her, she knows without him saying a word. Japan is modern now, the forerunner of technological advancements and he has not seen a single magical creature in his land in years. But Ukraine is determined and she begs him seven times to help her, to give her the object she needs to rescue Canada from the world beyond nature.
Japan does give in to Ukraine's request, and gives her a tooth, which he took from a great oni he had conquered when he was young. From there Japan gives her a boat and she goes to see New Zealand, who welcomes her and smiles at her stories. The island accepts her story and believes all that England and India have said without an argument, for they are the greatest scholars and practitioners of magic. But there is another reason New Zealand accepts the story without question.
Ukraine lifts up New Zealand's shirt and sees a scaly fish belly instead of the warm pink flesh of a human. New Zealand is really Te Ika a Maui, a giant fish once pulled from the depths by a magic fishhook. Ukraine receives one of the fish's belly scales and spends the rest of the day resting alongside New Zealand, waiting for nightfall and the new moon.
When the sun begins to set, Ukraine goes out alone with all seven objects she gained from the seven nations, her satchel carrying things she thinks she will need in the world beyond nature. Carefully, she lays each treasure in a circle. A dragon's egg, a lock of Dame Blanche's hair, a feather from Giltinė's owl, a mask of naga scales, the husk of the coco de mer, an oni's tooth, and the scale of an island-fish. She stands silently in the circle and waits as the magic resonates around her.