It turned out that Brother Wadin's friend had reliable channels of information. The higher-ups really had fallen into a somewhat strange state of indecision.
They hadn't received feedback as promptly as usual, but the matter hadn't been shelved.
The Chief Inquisitor had returned, extremely impatient, complaining that wasting time around a long table was pointless. They needed something more practical.
Rather than have him argue with a group of Bishops who barely dared look at a corpse, they could let the destroyed Heretic strongholds and the evidence they'd gathered speak for themselves. Then there would be nothing left to argue about.
Green had received an almost explicit hint that he could carry on with his work, as long as he didn't make too much of a commotion.
As for what counted as "too much of a commotion," there was no clear standard. But it definitely included suddenly losing more than a dozen monks in a single night. If it happened again, there'd be no way to explain it away.
That meant they needed to use their forces more carefully, reduce the size of their teams, and shorten their explorations. Accordingly, they also needed more reliable people.
They had to take into account the disastrous impact of the sudden incident on that rainy night last time. It had been no less damaging than a battle with heavy casualties. Some people might not be able to enter the Sewers again for a while, and it wouldn't even be suitable for them to keep staying underground.
The only reliable and capable people left were Brother Wadin and Green himself, along with a few monks whose faith, courage, or reason had stood up to the test. That was enough for Green. The Heavenly Father had chosen those he needed through the trial.
All that