[ They might die before the war is over, and so on. But perhaps later is better than never, and Byerly is right that haring off on a personal errand might be hard to justify, especially for a division head. If Hightown is ever on the way somewhere, maybe Bastien will nudge, but for now he just gives Byerly's shoulders a quick, satisfied squeeze. ]

If you do go, and you want company, I could go with you. To Highever, I mean. Not to call on your sister. You could leave me in a comfortable in with a stack of books.