(Scars do not appear to be cause of death –shock ... - Bad Request

hollow room on the other side. I gingerly put one arm forward, my finger
passing through that hole in space. I expected it to tingle as my finger
passed the thin plane that separated this part of the multiverse from the
next, or perhaps a gentle tug. There was, however, nothing that I could feel
other than the slightly warmer air of the room beyond and a soft rush of air.
I braced myself.
A moment after I stepped through, the portal winked out of existence
behind me.
“Mpppfghhh!” I moaned, and immediately pulled out the green steel knife
from my belt and slit the stitches in my lips. I panted with relief, licking my
lips as a string of pent-up curses caught in my throat.
I looked around as I plucked the last bits of thread from my lips and similarly
undid the stitches all over my body. The alcove I found myself in was dimly
lit by an unseen light, with but a single sarcophagus in the center of the
room. The thing looked like a solid block of stone, and I wondered whether
it truly housed a corpse. Was this a small tomb? A memorial? A set of
footprints in the thick layer of dust was a sign that one person, at least, had
visited within the past century or so.
The glint of coin had caught my eye immediately. A small pile of coppers
weighed down a small note.
Upon inspection, I saw that the note has been written with remarkable
penmanship upon the finest parchment:
Vaxis,
If you are reading this, then you have undoubtedly failed in your task and
have been forced to use the escape route I arranged. I told you that your
little disguise idea was ridiculous. In any case, you'll need to lay low for a
while. The Dustmen may be deluded, but they are not fools, and they will
certainly seek retribution for our intrusion. I've left you some coins. Use
them to secure a hiding place in the Hive, preferably in Ragpicker's
Square. The Dustmen will be unwilling to look for you there.
Once you have secured a new hiding place, I have a new mission for you:
find out where Pharod is getting those bodies he's delivering to the
Mortuary. It's apparently causing the Dustmen a great deal of upset, and
I wouldn't mind knowing myself. Reports are that that stone-faced
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