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This time he could get at the flow of ardor within the tattoos themselves. Where before, their secrets had been thoroughly concealed, now he sensed them. Through Qorvass, the Pit gave him an inroad.

Fascinating.

This woven flow. The way it could flex and bend... was it reacting to his observation of it? Didn't like being seen this way, eh?

Ah.

It was a memory structure. A pseudo-consciousness. Even more sophisticated than he'd realized.

Masterful work.

Rare were the times when he could look on and marvel at the accomplishment of another integrator, especially with how old he'd gotten, how much he'd seen before.

These patterns were something else. How were they so efficient? They looked a bit sloppy, but the flow was not leaking in the slightest. No ardor being lost. As perfect as the flow he'd just created using the Pit.

It made no sense.

Efficiency was not a trivial issue. In fact, where inventions were concerned, the efficient flow of ardor was arguably the most important subject of all. Many integrators would spend a hundred years or more just trying to master that one thing--and still die before managing it.

But this. This was something special. A perfect flow that did not appear so? How could that be?

He was missing something. Some element of its composition must've still been concealed from him.

Damn! Such an enticing mystery! Here?! Now?! He didn't have the luxury of time on his side. He needed to remove them.

But this magnificent structure... it would be a shame to destroy it. A true shame. In fact, destroying it before uncovering the depth of its secrets would not only be a shame... but a crime, in Morgunov's mind.

An intellectual crime. Absolutely.

Yes. Abruptly, his priorities shifted. He could not allow these tattoos to be destroyed. Without a doubt, he had to, in some way, preserve them.

But how? Agh.

He racked his brain, thinking. Their flow's patterns were too complex to simply memorize with how little time he had. Well, then again, with the benefit of Bool's immaculate memory on his side, it might be possible.

But no. He had a better idea.

Rather than destroying them, the solution was to transfer them to a dummy body. Then he could study them at his leisure another time.

Or...

Or?

Or he could use his own body. Transfer them himself.

Eheheh... wouldn't that be astonishingly dangerous?

Why, yes. Yes, it would.