Walker continued puffing on the pipe in his hands, looking back at the golem and its soulless gaze. A more egotistical man might consider it curiosity, but he suspected it was a reckoning that was beyond him. He couldn't make assumptions about what went on in that soulless head of the golem, one that spoke with countless voices including his very own, something that was disconcerting at best and downright eerie at worst. Of course, the suggestion to simply give up was made to sound like the easy alternative. Sure, it was in theory, but that didn't mean a damn thing weeks, months, or even years down the line after the eternal gnaw of guilt set in. He'd seen guilt eat men and women from the inside out, drive them to early graves, all because of one misstep that they could never have predicted at the time. [color=598527]"Easy as you make it sound, doubt giving up is a luxury that'll exist forever. This Spire, no matter how slowly it goes, will eventually finish its meal, consumption, whatever you want to call it. Even if its long after anyone mortal is dead and ash, nothing's forever. I may be a pessimist at times, but I try not to be a fool, even if that's a rigged coin toss most of the time."[/color]

	[color=598527]"And be careful looking to the gutter for wisdom V, after all, our newfound acquaintance here has no doubt sized me up already and made its decision, especially given its fondness of using my own words in response."[/color] Walker didn't move from his position currently, letting the tobacco smolder in the pipe as he spoke, eyes never leaving Jasper as he spoke. There was no hatred or even distaste, despite the words and implications, he couldn't bring himself to hate a machine, a cog in a greater game being played. He knew he was playing a game with nothing in hand, and it didn't sit right with him. None of it did, and that brought out the worst in him. It usually did, and it had been quite sometime since things had sat right with him. How long, well, that wasn't something to speculate on, especially given how he had came to in those cells. At the mention of him being perfectly replaceable he shrugged idly.

	[color=598527]"The golem isn't wrong there, and can drop the mocking use of a title granted by a dead land and deader nobility. Was a mistake to bring it up it seems. And whether I stay or not relies on one thing, and that's V. She wants me gone, I go. She wants me to stay, I stay. She's the one holding the strings, so if she thinks I have my uses out of moody episodes and general out of my element responses, well, that's her decision now isn't it?"[/color] Walker didn't think he could rightly walk away from this endeavor lightly, not even if he wanted to, which he wasn't sure yet. Even if this settlement was just like home, that threat of gnawing guilt bringing about a slow, wasting death was an unwelcome one. But ordered was another matter completely, and that was a bridge to burn when they get to it. The talk on culled ranks and press ganged prisoners brought a shake of the man's head. [color=598527]"Even if they try to get in the way, the most unreliable of help is that press ganged into it. Better to avoid them if they aren't keen on being useful."[/color]