Quoted By:
You ... you - oh, damn it, you need to think. Are you ... no, no you aren't. You aren't going to jump in after it. As things stand, you are already impaired by sleeplessness; you would even go so far as to say that you are dangerously impaired. And clearly, that it making it hard enough on you - but if you catch a cold after your little swim, or something even worse - and you imagine that there are a lot worse things to catch in this 'water' than just a cold - how could you expect to make it out of the Mount and then all way to the frontier provinces by yourself? And that isn't the only manner of threat to your health down here - what if you were to injure yourself diving in, or you strike something under the water while you are swimming, or you get swept into a grate or down a section that is filled to the top with water, what are you to do then, besides suffer and very possibly die?
It is not worth it, it cannot be worth it. You stuffed the remains proper full, and as far as you can tell - in what passes for light down here - the surface of the 'water' is placid and the flow is seems to be mild. You wouldn't go so far as to say that it was 'slow' or 'lazing' - and it certainly isn't 'still' - but it could very well be that the flow is not going to be enough to move the remains, considering their weight. And it isn't like you are right on the harbor - there is still quite a bit of distance that the remains would need to cover before it gets dumped out. There must be grates between here and the water - and even if there weren't, even if it managed to make it out of the sewers, there would be quays and wharves and boats and ships in nearly every direction - all things that could conceal it from the inquiring eyes of a Mitigator. And even if the Mitigator found it and recognized it as the remains of a Construct, how long would it take for the Inquisition to start searching the sewers? You doubt that it wouldn't occur to them as a possibility, but surely ... it couldn't be that they'd immediately jump down here. Right?
You are left grasping for an answer - and onto this arrangement of kindling with aspirations of being a ladder. Sick to your stomach, you ascend back into the Closet, reproaching yourself as you approach your cart. Even as you bite your lip and wince as you Socket your Wand of Head-Knocking back into the battered and bruised crook of your left arm, then slip your chemise and your domestic dress back on over your head, you are recriminating yourself. You deserve it - in fraying spades - but you acutely know that you cannot let this chew you up. The Clerking House is very liable to have Guards minding the place at night - there were Guards there during the day, after all. After removing the books and the journal out of your apron, you put that on as well - not so much for the pockets, but simply because it is nice to have for the padding, when you have to be on hands and knees.
