As if summoned by this turn toward intrigue, here is Bastien, clothes and hair rumpled but face focused. A rare unsmiling approach.

He does not crowd into the carriage. He braces his arm against the door to lean forward, not quite in, and gives Marcus a once-over, lingering on the bloody lip, that will have to stand in for asking how he is. The answer is obviously not great but also being seen to.

Tsenka warrants a glance. He'd prefer not to be doing this in front of anyone, but he's attuned enough to the various relationships around him to figure there's not much point going all cloak and dagger just to earn a five minute delay before Marcus tells her anyway.

"Rowntree," he says. "Can you rule out Fitcher?"

If he needs more context for that question, he will have to ask.