Apparently Alsalam never was in Graendal's hands. On the other hand, there also was't any real relevance in Noal's plotline of a possible Compulsion by Graendal, as some suspected (the whole thing about him not being able to remember something important seems to be pretty irrelevant now). Of course, maybe Noal might yet escape from Finnland somehow, but it seems rather doubtful.

So, who was the old man in Graendal's lair and what was the significance?