[Aloof, just speaking matter of factly about the strange dream.] I often have this dream, Sinclair. In it, I climb an endlessly long ladder. Then everything down below comes into view. The Nest, the Backstreets, the Outskirts, all of it. And when I look beneath my feet, all the lights are out in the City, as if the end of all things had come. Fallen into silent death, empty of any motion. Indeed, it’s the state of death itself.

[Calm, mysterious, and almost prophetic.] So you ended up giving Kromer the key. Sinclair, a series of much more painful events may await you in the future. But you mustn’t give up. That pain will foster your growth into a beautiful being.

[As mysterious and aloof as always. A strange serenity.] Only then… will you see what matters most. And when you can see the things that matter most… You won’t have to stifle yourself with shallow threats or cheap tricks. …Isn’t that right, Sinclair?