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Sorely tired as you are, you spare more than a few moments thinking as you follow after Nasturtium, his standing offer of a room for the night still hanging heavy in the air. You are tempted, you will admit - not for the sake of sleep, unfortunately, but for the sake of ease. In your estimation, the easiest way forward here would be to leave stage, team and tack at this establishment, saving yourself the effort - and the expense, <span class="mu-i">and</span> the risks besides - of going somewhere else to temporarily board your conveyance until you were ready to load it. And if you were to take a room here, you wouldn't need to convince the proprietor here to let you out on the streets at this incredible hour either. To be sure, you would have to sneak your way in and out, but otherwise, it would be the Idea of ease. It would also be the Idea of sloppiness. The acceptance of your presence at this house is predicated on a host of lies, half-truths and suppositions. If just one of them is seen for what it is, then the whole raft of them are called into question. And doesn't it stand to reason that the longer you linger, the better the odds are that you will be on hand when your deceptions come into the Light? You cannot stomach the thought of that. There is also a sense that the longer you remain somewhere, the more clues and the clear trail you lead behind. It doesn't <span class="mu-i">have</span> to work that way, but as a rule, the longer you give yourself to make mistakes, the more mistakes you make.
But then what does that leave you? Claiming that Sulphreme sent for a driver and escort? That ... that <span class="mu-i">could</span> work, assuming that Sulphreme is going to keep to his word this time and play along with the lie - and even if he didn't, you would surely be gone before he was told. You don't see him correcting Nasturtium about it either. Still, that is not to say that you don't have misgivings about the idea ... though in your state they are not quite articulable. Well ... the man is a Taker, so by any measure, the less of your affairs, of your coming-and-goings he is part or party to, the better. Nasturtium would definitely make mention of this to Sulphreme to commend him and brothers; but even if he didn't, you are of the mind that Sulphreme would - that he will - ask after you regardless. And Nasturtium would see no reason not to tell the man, believing him to already know the answer. It cannot be gainsaid just how awkward the exchange might get, but you imagine Sulphreme to be capable of lying his way out of it. Willing as well. Still, as a solution goes, relying on others to do inevitably required lying for you is near as sloppy as lingering in the house. But besides that ... you suppose you could tell the man the truth - or at least, tell the man that you can drive the stage for yourself. Of your options, it is the cleanest, but you cannot possibly imagine that would be easy to sell him on, however.
