Ortus gladly accepted the offered gloves, and is even more glad of them at the mention of the possibility of the portal catching fire.

The man's commentary recalls the Lady Pent's lightly reeled off preparation for exorcism, complete with the evident lightness of concern over potential adverse outcomes that nevertheless made them feel quite real and pressing. In that case, his apprehensions had been prescient.

"Once finished, do you believe the portal will remain stable?" Ortus asks, his nerves ill-concealed. "Unlikely to combust, or otherwise lose its integrity?"