[ It's about that time that Herc Hansen's message comes his way. Yancy replies back and then brings the pocketwatch back to his lips. When he speaks, it's soft: ] It's been a bad couple of weeks, Alayne. No one's going to laugh at you for making a fuss after everything that's happened recently.

[ He's close, and he glances around, gaze hard on the empty corridors. ]

Do you know where he be? Or where he could have gone while you were asleep?