<div>
Inner Sanctum Loft | 11:50 AM | Second Day
<div>
<div>
needed to be, I was a good liar.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
did happen, right, Su? You know how I get when I''m excited."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
did run into your father, did we, Theo? Even though checking on him was part of the reason you came along to begin with." She looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry about that. I might''ve got a little carried away with my monologuing."
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
other people keeping secrets.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
That was so stupid, I kept thinking to myself, unable to pull my mind away from the subject. Honestly, did it not occur to you that the room might''ve been under a surveillance incantation, or for that matter, any number of arcana that could have prevented you from gaining a full understanding of what was going on? How could you feel remotely confident in being complicit in this serious a lie without even the ability to check for the Power?
<div>
<div>
If there was a surveillance incantation, they would have found the body already, I reasoned to myself. Don''t be paranoid.
<div>
<div>
What a ridiculously narrow assumption, the other part of my brain replied. There are a thousand scenarios in which they could have detected you and not it. Maybe they have an incantation which only triggers when someone passes through the doorway, or one which passively records data that simply hasn''t been checked since the incident happened. Hell, they don''t even need the Power. Once they know the truth, the fact that you were gone for so long in that location will become incredibly suspicious!
<div>
<div>
Gods. Why did I only ever become smart after the stuff I needed to be smart for was already over.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Just try not to think about it, I thought. There''s nothing you can do right now.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Gravity that bound whole solar systems or galaxies together, or even a person to the ground beneath their feet, you''d get frustratingly inconsistent results.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
facts, of bullet-point lists, existed as almost a a numb, quiet alternative to the complex, painful needs associated with actual life. It had become more and more easy for me to slip into that comfortable world, thinking exclusively of unliving things.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Weirdly clinical way to put it, whatever ''it'' was.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Well, I thought. That was reassuring.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
how important this all was to me, even if I''d shared a little bit with her. Likewise, it wasn''t as though not having explored the room and remaining ignorant would''ve been an objective improvement. If there was anything suspect about the whole situation, it was better for at least the two of us to be armed with the facts, rather than no one at all.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
What do I know, beyond any doubt?
<div>
<div>
impression of a dead woman at the bottom of a pit.
<div>
<div>
Tch. Once again, I was stumbling around in total ignorance of anything happening around me.
<div>
<div>
pretend that certain things are true, and then extrapolate conclusions from that basis. Because even if reality is more complicated and those conclusions aren''t completely sound, in arriving at them, you might be able to perceive things from a new perspective and gain new information.
<div>
<div>
more difficult to frame something as a suicide, since anyone could cast the Anomaly-Divining Arcana and realize something was a amiss. So it wasn''t unreasonable to just take what I''d seen at face value.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
motive to try and paint what had happened as a suicide, it would be trivial to fake both. The killer could have shot them down on the lower level, planted the pistol in their hands, then simply climbed the ladder and shot the wall at that particular angle themselves.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
The bleach smell. The room had been recently cleaned. I''d almost forgotten about that amidst everything else. Could that have been to get rid of any signs of a conflict which didn''t fit with the narrative? In fact, how could there be any innocent explanation for someone cleaning that room recently, since they''d have surely noticed the body? Didn''t that unambiguously point to some sort of cover-up?
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
except in the one position by the hatch. But then, if it had happened there, there''d be no reason to clean up anyway, because it would support the narrative of a suicide they were trying to create. And if it had happened in the tunnels instead, then there''d be nothing to clean up at all. The whole notion led in a circle.
<div>
<div>
Ugh, this hurts my head.
<div>
<div>
before the... Death, and still smell and look fresh. It didn''t prove anything.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
That''s not true, a small part of me protested. You could give up on all of this and tell the truth, for everyone else''s sake. Go home.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Stay focused on one thing at a time, a voice within me said. Get the presentation done for now. Everything else can wait.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
Negenthropic-Resuscitating Arcana inscribed on for the conclave members. I wasn''t doing anything complicated involving artifices or logic engines - my plan was simply to explain the nature and intention of the incantation, go over a little how it works and how I iterated upon since its original development, and then give a demonstration. Straightforward, professional, by-the-numbers. That was the way I liked it.
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>
<div>