Swamped

"Someone else here is in the same position we are," you say carefully. You most certainly do not want to be overheard about this matter. "It would be difficult to explain how I know that from the book, so just take my word for it. And if you work out who it is, try not to get too close."

"Ah," he says. He does seem to be getting the message. "Speaking of that, I had a bit of an odd experience a while ago, just before I found this. I... saw things. Worried I might have been exposed to something."

Hmm. So a time magic spell activated. He's old enough you can clearly tell he's not a wizard, but on the other hand, there's a good deal of ether around him. Still, even that amount shouldn't be enough to allow someone with no ether affinity to use it... not without some other kind of trigger...

"Was anyone else around at the time?" you ask.

"One of the nurses. I think her name was Susan?"

She's not a wizard, either. You're even more sure of that - she was working a rare day shift when your mentor discovered you. So there must have been some other factor.

"And was that book nearby?"

"No. I found it two latrines over. Susan had been in there before, but didn't notice it. I did find a box in that room, and a wooden board hiding it. Which was real close by, come to think of it."

Well. You'd really like to get a look at those, but you think it's best to ask the doctor or one of the nurses to show you once Crow leaves. If your hunch is right, and both of you are near one of those objects, that would be serious trouble.

And you wonder if this third out-of-time person might have something to do with your mission. But it's very difficult to say either way.

If they brought multiple objects with them, though, then they were more likely better prepared for the journey than either of you were. Which means it's probably very important you work out what they were trying to do, so you know if you should be trying to interfere with it or just stay out of the way.

But you're not getting out of this bed for a while, so you suppose you'll have to ask Crow to investigate. And there's one idea you have for what he can look at first.