Holmes made a noncommittal noise in answer, and took the pen from behind his ear to make some notes on a paper he picked up. One more occurrence to add to the pattern, but it brought with it no epiphany.

"Even the most apparently insignificant jack tar might change the outcome of the war," he stated as he scribbled, "but rest assured, testimonies from people who knew each other in their original worlds suggests that you might still be present in yours."