The book inspires some brief paranoia and a handwriting-comparison investigation, but the latter solves the former. Mostly. Enough to return the paranoia to its usual level of white noise.

He respects the unsigned nature of the note by not responding straight away. But a few days later, when Ellis crosses through the dining hall while Bastien's tucked near the fireplace with the half-finished book, he looks up from it long enough to smile and mouth thank you.