Oh - [ He carried a little food and water with him by habit, along with medical supplies. It helped that his satchel could carry far more than it should. Given the size of the borough, and the existence of hosts (among other more mundane dangers like the broken glass he'd stepped on within days of arriving), it seemed pertinent to be prepared.

He waited to rummage in his pack to earnestly listen to his companion —

Only to burst into startled laughter, a perhaps surprisingly boyish sound, light and clear. ] You tease me, [ he complained, though there was hardly any real protest. ]

I imagine I cannot swim, either. I should not like to find out the hard way, either.

[ That aside, the water didn't look particularly safe. In the river, he was sure he had seen large shapes lurking beneath. ...To say nothing of the debris that had clogged the canal.

He opened the satchel, pulling out a cellophane packet of long-stale crackers. ] Do you imagine they would like these?