The water pulsed.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A
REASON THAT YOU DEPARTED YOUR ORIGIN -REALM?

I— I don’t know.

YOU DO NOT KNOW A MATTER OF YOUR OWN MIND?
DID YOU CONSIDER IT, OR DID YOU NOT?

I…suppose I didn’t.

SURPRISING.

Why do you say that?

BECAUSE IT IS A MORTAL COMPULSION
TO COGITATE ON FATE.

I try not to think about it.

WHY?

Because it’s painful.

THE COMING, OR THE GOING?

What do you mean?

DO YOU LAMENT WHERE YOU ARE,
OR WHERE YOU CAME FROM?

Both?

I THINK IT IS BUT ONE.

Which do you think it is?

I THINK YOU WOULD NOT RETURN.

Why?

BECAUSE I KNOW YOUR PAIN.

There was a lot of pain there. But…

The water pulsed.

GO ON.

But here, it’s duller.

HAVE YOU CONSIDERED THAT THERE MIGHT BE A
REASON THAT YOU DEPARTED YOUR ORIGIN-REALM?

You’ve already asked me that.

I HAD HOPED THAT YOU HAD CONSIDERED IT.

I don’t know what you mean. Please, just tell me.

PERHAPS THE PAIN IS WHAT BROUGHT YOU HERE.

Is that how they work? The slipgates?

I DO NOT KNOW.

Oh. I thought you—…nevermind.

THE SECRETS OF THE GATES WERE LOST WITH THE GUARDIANS.

You mean Kline’s people?

YES.

But…Kline knows. They brought us here.

THAT ONE ONLY STRUGGLES IN THE DARK.
I AM SURPRISED YOU HAVE NOT NOTICED.

I suppose I have. But Kline knows much more than I do.

I THINK IT WOULD SURPRISE YOU TO LEARN HOW
LITTLE KNOWLEDGE THAT ONE POSSESSES.

Maybe. But I trust Kline.

The water pulsed.