51

You try finding Alexius, but he seems able to vanish into the woods without a trace, and you're not much of a tracker. You would need a better road system, or a lookout post, to spot the merchant's comings and goings.

You pass several weeks recovering from your injuries with a mixture of local and Byzantine medicine. Soon you feel fully refreshed and ready to face whatever this savage land throws at you.

Though it takes only moments to activate the portal, gathering the wood necessary to power the boiler takes several weeks of work. This gives Control time to make the necessary adjustments to the apparatus. Then it's ready, and after several seconds, the circular aperture appears just above your head.

"Hello again, Crowchar," Dr. Sabbatine says from the far side of the open portal.