"Is that an acceptance?"

"Yes," he says. After all, it's an acceptance, if not the acceptance Conquest is looking for.

"Then take me to her."

He marches toward the exit. He doesn't motion Sadde to follow, but it's pretty clear that he expects it. The remaining color washes out of the surroundings, and then the light fades everywhere it isn't illuminating the way out, leaving everything else looking unimportant and unreal. The dull gray orb that recently acted as a sun is barely distinguishable from the dull gray sky.

Conquest is currently large enough that he might accidentally elbow Sadde in the head if they were standing too close together, but it's his musket that stays the most obvious part of his appearance.

They've planned for this. He has some ideas of where she'd go if she didn't know about the diabolism—so they're all wrong.

"She wouldn't have stayed in this city," he explains.

"l want the city to know I seek her. Take me to where she will be if she stayed. If you are right about her being farther, my allies and servants can extend my reach."

He sighs and starts making his way to the place he expects she'd be most likely to go if it weren't for him.

She's not there, of course. Conquest isn't especially surprised by this. He's after the spectacle.

Most bystanders presumably only see a large man and not his weapon. Others, practitioners, and especially spirits can see it as the Lord forced-marching a practitioner in broad daylight. They draw eyes; not many second glances but nearly everyone they pass looks once.

A crow flies across their path, far enough to be unremarkable but in Sadde's field of view. Then it flies off toward the real location.

Sadde catches a glimpse of the crow. And does not look at it. He does not need to know where the crow is going or what it's doing. He can lead Conquest around, wordlessly and looking sullen.

Even though they're just walking, and not in any particular hurry, they seem to get between destinations quickly. By the time Sadde gets tired they'll have traversed a fair fraction of the city.

Conquest isn't bothered by not finding the thief. On the other hand, he's marching closer to Sadde with each failure, his hand settling across Sadde's shoulder and gradually tightening.

"My Lord, might I inquire as to what you expect me to do? I made a prediction, you agreed it was likely, the prediction turned out to be true, so neither of us got any new information relative to when you called me to your chamber. Why is your behaviour changing around me, my Lord?"

"As I said. If your fist attempt was unsuccessful, I would force you less gently. It is easy to predict where someone will not be. I am well aware that some attempts are in better faith than others, and am only reminding you to try to find her."

He frowns and continues showing Conquest places. Places where he accidentally and imperceptibly leaves a light on, or lets a drop of Bob fall on the ground somewhere unobtrusive, or maybe slightly moves something. They're covering more ground than he'd expected with this space thing the Lord is doing, and Sadde is using it to the best of his advantage.

It's hard to hide leaving a light on, but no suspicion is raised.

Conquest gets steadily less friendly about the kidnapping. But the continuing lack of Diana doesn't seem to inhibit him from continuing with the plan as stated, whatever it was he's going for by parading Sadde around.

That's quite alright. After a bit Sadde has left quite a few lights on, and things like that.

Do they stop for a snack?

Conquest will stop before running Sadde to exhaustion if asked. He himself doesn't tire, of course.

(A side effect, since only one of them eats food, is that they end up in a location of Sadde's choice. Conquest doesn't really have opinions on sandwiches.)

Sadde will be so so reluctant to suggest it but eventually he does, when they're near this one spot.

He'll allow it.

Oh good. So when they get there he can say, "My Lord, I believe there is something you don't know." And he flicks one last hidden switch somewhere, in view of a small creek.

A cartoonishly large glowing monster bursts out of the trickle of water, then bashes Conquest with a fin before crashing down and flopping at him. Conquest is somewhat displeased by this.

He grins. "Human beings respond terribly to threats and torture. We just lie." He winks, then announces: "Let it be known that I hereby declare war," for the benefit of the spirits. "You and I are henceforth enemies. I'll see you when the stars are in the right position."

And he turns tail.

Conquest is somewhat busy at the moment. He's not doing too badly— despite the size difference he's got the high ground in several senses. (Most important of which is that the sea monster can't actually do much while lying on Finch Avenue.) But by the time Conquest fights his way through his opponent, Sadde has time for a few twists and turns and a decent head start.

Sadde's not stupid enough to run to the diabolists' hideout, in case he gets caught. Instead he takes turns and zigzags, using Bob to every now and then sever his own connections to the places he just ran through with a slash of his fingers.

Running in less observable directions means no good guess at whether Conquest is close on his heels or not.

After enough time, that becomes a "probably not."

He's in good enough shape (always) that he'll run until it becomes "it's vanishingly unlikely Conquest is on his track."

His surroundings get colder. They've been doing that since he and Conquest stepped out, but it accelerates past the rate that getting later in the day can justify. Other than that, there's no sign of anything out of the ordinary.

(His phone does not ring, nor does anyone answer if he tries. Far too easy to picture it being compromised.)