exit, stage e a s t

Something just made sense to me in the old man Manouks ravings from the other day. He said the Doxe gave him those shackles, though he called them bracelets, until he couldn't bear them anymore and he became a we to focus on bearing the shackles.

Manouk divided himself in parts to bear the pain of being shackled. We are leaving them all here, aren't we? Can anything be done for these ghosts?

Right, so this happened. Again. In case the lot of you who get the whole feast for a third time also see the bride go missing, a heads up:

The conductor can track any ticket or numbered staff member on board. Any. The man needs help beyond anything I have the time or ability to give, but he's far from the worst when it comes to devotions to the train. The staff serves it tea every morning. Before any of you are up. We don't all sleep, do you know? I haven't slept since I got on board.

Either way, see about asking him where she's going if she disappears again tonight.

And if any of the staff tell you about being kind to the train, praying to the train, polishing the train for the train, don't laugh where they can hear you. The chamber maids cry about it later. How misunderstood, they say, the train is. How unenlightened the ticket bearers, to not understand the train's benevolence. If I have to hear that one more time I'll scream.