He's still there, in the physical sense. Mentally he's just barely keeping up, preoccupied by trying to figure out the missing pieces. But there comes a certain point when the questions add up too much, and you learn to cope with finding none of the answers. It's a lot easier to go along with it than wondering who to be concerned for and why.

"Here," he says, slightly delayed. Pulling out the lanterns he had hooked in his other arm, he holds it out for Lucrezia's hand -- because holding it now seems even more awkward than it did the first time, and it's easily misinterpreted.