The morning arrived with the particular, functional quality of a new day in a settlement that does not pause for the people inside it to finish their previous business before generating new business.
Mark delivered the news with the specific, apologetic quality of someone who has already assessed the gap between what he promised and what he is able to deliver and has found the gap uncomfortable.
"I am sorry, senior. Father is in the process of concocting an extremely important pill. I request that you please wait two days."
Lukas received the words with the specific, unreadable quality of a face that has been trained — through two weeks of the outer forest's consecutive pressures — to present nothing when presenting nothing is the correct response. No ripple. No visible urgency.
Two more days.
Inside, the accounting was immediate and honest.
