"Not so dire, but interesting all on its own," Darlington says, marveling at the off-handedness at which Pal says death is less permanent here. He takes the notebook when offered, scanning the notes and conjecture within, the meticulous entries on blood and sand and catastrophe. Seen all together, it's overwhelming, or should be; instead, Darlington finds himself reading with fascination, the pieces of whatever the puzzle of Well might be starting to take form in his mind.

"So the cycle repeats," he says. "Never identical, but similar enough? Storms, and blood, and a plague of insects...feels almost biblical."