Quoted By:
>Into the vents!
"Like, what about where you hid?"
Gil pauses mid-chomp. "...The vent?"
"Yeah! The vent! It worked last time, didn't it?"
"Lottie, i-i-it's—" He looks up, as if to verify that the vent is where he left it. "—in the ceiling?"
"So?"
"And you can't fly? Um, as far as I-I know. Even if you could, I-I don't think the lady you're in can! And even if she could, i-i-it's— there's a grate over it."
"You can go up there and take it off," you say. "Right?"
"...Maybe? Um, but even i-if I did, are you sure you can fit?"
You squint. The vent is square. It could be torso-sized, potentially. "Yeah, why not?"
Gil tilts his chin out. "...You're really sure? And you're sure we'll have enough time for— for me to get up there, take the vent cover off, you get up there, you get i-in, somehow, I screw the vent cover on, and then I-I come back and hide... for <span class="mu-i">all</span> that? Before Casey fucking Kemper comes back and sees trespassers fucking with his ceiling?"
"Gil," you say, disappointed.
Gil swallows.
"What kind of thinking am I hearing? Is that positive thinking?"
"Sorry."
"What does Teddy think, huh? I consider his opinion very important too, Gil. It's imperative to consider all my retainers equally."
Why does Gil crack a tiny smile at that? It vanishes as quickly as it came. "He... he says it sounds risky. It's predicated on a lot of things going right."
"<span class="mu-i">Does</span> he say that."
"Yeah. Uh... hold on." Gil takes a sip. "He also says that... that you're the kind of person where once you have hold of an idea, you won't let go, and all I can do at this point is make sure you don't kill yourself trying. Oh."
There we go! You knew you made a brilliant choice, taking on a second retainer. Teddy just seemed so <span class="mu-i">reasonable.</span> "That's exactly right. So you're going to help get that vent off, right? Since you're so good at mechanical things?"
Gil makes a face.
"Great! Now, if we stack that chair on the settee, and you stand on that chair, I think that's tall enough to—"
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(1/2?)
