Denes' skepticism and resistance against Salamander's authority, leading to his isolation and the undermining of his position.

Salamander attempts to assert his infallible authority over Denes and Fedorin by warning of impending volcanic disasters in the Central European Zone, dismissing their skepticism as ignorance. Denes, however, refuses …

After dismissing Denes—a skeptical rival whose defiance undermines Salamander’s authority—Salamander deliberately retains Fedorin, a vulnerable and morally conflicted official, under the pretense of hospitality. The dismissal of Denes is abrupt, …