It didn't occur to the Medicine Seller that Cole was being inappropriate either. He was quite used to baths being a social thing even if he weren't the most sociable person around.

He cracked open one eye open. It was, indeed, Cole who had partially confirmed what he was dreading.

Other people tended to get in the way. Worse if those people happened to be the sorts who didn't bother to ask questions and just cut down anything remotely threatening.

So very troublesome.

"That is ... interesting."

Perhaps it worked a bit like adding more rope to a line.

"But what are they anchored to?"