"And possibly in the modern day by an Esoteric Order. ...I wonder if they also worship with -- never mind. I think now that's everything, then."

"All right. Thank you. Both of you. You have made my last days... better."

"Thank you."

"I... did not think I would get another chance to teach. To pass on what I've learned. To see Lev. I did not think I would get any chance at all to make up for what I've done."

"I'm very glad we decided to risk checking out Dallol."

"I am as well."

"I --" Why does Mordred have to be so bad at feelings when they're his own. "--Oswald do you have anything faster than a knife because I have a knife but it's really not designed for killing people with and I don't want this to hurt more than it has to."

"Just the. Just the handgun." He's suddenly gone much quieter. "It'll be loud."

"I want to say goodbye to Lev first. And then he can't watch."

"But--"

"No."

Oswald nods.

"I'll stay with him," Mordred says to Ayers. "Thank you. That -- doesn't feel like enough but it's what I have."

Lev and Ayers go out far enough that Mordred and Oswald can't hear them. They can see them hugging, though.

When Lev comes back his face is a blotchy red and his shirt is stained with tears.

This would be heartrending except for how Oswald is strategically not feeling anything at all.

Fortunately Mordred is very good at setting aside his emotions when there's a task in front of him. He takes Lev somewhere shady and sits down.

Oswald and Ayers and handgun can presumably find a place that will cause a minimum amount of disturbance to everyone else. Which is not at all zero disturbance.

Lev cringes when he hears the bullet.

...hugs?

Yeah. Hugs.

When the body collapses Oswald comes back to the progression of time enough to think that he ought to go back to the others now, or figure out how to bury him, or something. Instead he sits down and stares blankly at it for a while.

Lev starts to cry on Mordred's shoulder. "I miss him."

"I know. I'm sorry. I can see why you love him so much."

After some time he stands up and walks back and asks what they should do with the body. He seems very, very distant. His voice is flat.