"...Thank you? Or - oh, is this -

...Go ahead."

"Thank you, sir. I'll see where I can get on these and let you know if I've found anything by this evening."

"Thank you," he says, and leaves.

"It will take a few hours of my work, but then it might enable longer times apart."

"...Oh. That seems good. You can do that. Thank you."

She's not sure she deserves gratitude for this, really.

Marit has no idea what Alfirin is up to but he's worried about her and he was told to expect a report in the evening so he goes in in the evening to see if she's made any progress.

Catherine's reading one of the books when he shows up. "Awkward how all the libraries in Sarkoris were lost, I think these historians are doing more speculating than reporting." She marks her place and closes it. "Go ahead."

"Thank you. I don't suppose all our adventures here without the usual support have gotten you to seventh circle?"

"I would've mention - I suppose I might not have mentioned, really. But no, not yet."

"Pity. It would have simplified logistics." Telepathic bond.

I can possess the lantern, and then move between it and other bodies nearby. Lasts as long as possession the spell does. I am pretty sure I can take a clone, with it. If it works I suppose I'll want to move a clone here and we'll need a place to store it, but - I was hoping I could borrow you, to go fetch the clone in the first place.

And you don't want anyone else seeing the place, presumably, or even Plane Shifting you for mysterious reasons. I have a couple of scrolls if you'd like them.

So the options I see are that you carry me in the lantern and use the scroll, or I possess you and plane shift without using a scroll, or I ask Catherine if she'll allow me to make her unconscious while I go fetch a clone in her body. I'd prefer not the last, I don't know how to ask her in a way that she'll - parse as me really asking.

You can save on the scroll and the conversation with Catherine, I'll do it. He does not specify that he'll probably hate it; she can probably tell, and if she can't, good.

Thank you. If the clone doesn't work, I'll bring us back with my spell slots and then sit in a lantern for six hours.

Catherine, can you be back here in six hours? If it works we'll be able to do longer, but I don't want to do longer for the test.

Six hours, got it - I might be sleeping.

That's fine. I'd like to take the shirt and the headband.

"Knight-Commander, would you step out a moment?"

He can do that.

Then in a minute or two Catherine can open the door and hand him a shirt and a headband and an ominous lantern flickering with a greenish-grey light.

"Thank you, Catherine. Have a good evening." He tries not to glare at the lantern like it's going to possess him or something.

And a moment after that, he feels a - tugging -

He does have the competitive impulse to prove he can resist Alfirin's spells, but, this is stupid, and he lets her have it.

And then he's in the lantern and she's in his body.

This is probably pretty horrible for him and he's doing her a favor so she's going to be as quick about it as possible. She closes the door and plane shifts and heads to the nearest clone. She puts the lantern down next to it and gives Marit back his body.

Yeah he's not a huge fan of that. 

He picks himself up and tries to, in the absence of paladins, imitate their mind control powers with sheer will. It works...okay.