"What? Sounds like nothing but an excuse to me!"
"Exactly! We've been talking for so long and the Tower never stopped us—why is it that when it comes to him, he's suddenly unable to speak because of 'Tower regulations'?"
"Maybe he's hiding something..."
The apprentices' whispers rippled through the crowd, filled with suspicion and conjecture growing ever more pervasive.
Carl furrowed his brows, rebuking with frustration, "What nonsense are you all spewing? How could Lynch ever do something to betray us?"
"Then why won't he just tell us the truth?" an apprentice shot back.
Carl snapped angrily, "Haven't you heard about the Tower's rules?"
"Rules?"
The apprentice scoffed coldly, "Sounds like a convenient excuse. When has the Tower ever really stopped anyone?"
Carl was left speechless.
