The Manaus police chief, Colonel De Silva, receives a telegraph from London requesting that he assist Trapwood and Low to locate Taverner’s missing son for an “Important Person in Britain” (56). However, De Silva wants to protect the boy, Finn, whom he knows is hiding in the huts behind the Carters’ house with local friends of his late father. To protect Finn, De Silva lies to Trapwood and Low about a false rumor of the boy’s location and sends them upriver in the opposite direction of their quarry.

At the Amazonas Theater, Mrs. Carter and the twins lie to another audience member, Sergei Keminsky, the son of a Russian count. The Carters tell him that Maia is too sick to attend the show. Meanwhile, Maia finally arrives to the theater and runs into the Goodley’s nephew, who gives her a free front-row ticket, revealing the Carters’ lie that the show was sold out. At the Goodley’s production, Clovis plays his part well despite playing a character much younger than his actual age. But suddenly in the final act, his voice cracks and drops to a low bass, which causes the Carter twins and other audience members to laugh him off the stage.