"We'd been out for six days. I wondered how things were going back at the estate." Feld lifted the astringent tea to his lips and took a sip. Its intense bitterness made his tongue and gums tighten.
This was their third settlement. To find more primitive information, they had chosen a route far from the main roads. The conditions had grown steadily worse, and the relentless travel and reading had left them mentally and physically exhausted.
The Church's caretaker seemed to have noticed how pressed for time they were. After brewing two cups of supposedly invigorating tea, he led them to the library and left them undisturbed.
"I hoped we'd find something interesting enough that Mr. Kraft might overlook our failure to submit the regular report."
More than the possibility of being reprimanded later, he was worried about his companion's health.
But the discomfort Dominic had felt during that dinner had come and gone quickly. Throughout the rest of their journey, he had shown no obvious signs of illness, and his spirits remained quite good.
That was a relief, at least. Otherwise, Feld would never have let a sick man wander around outside. He'd have tied him up and dragged him back if he had to.
"Mm."
Dominic answered, then bent over the pages again. He read the words more attentively than the person who had proposed the trip, and was surprisingly quick about it. Several old books were already piled beside him.
Feld suspected Dominic's efficiency came from having a clear goal in mind. Dominic couldn't explain exactly what it was, but he knew what it wasn't.
At this rate, they ought to finish going through the selected manuscripts before nightfall. Then they could decide whether to turn back or continue to the next location and try their luck.