"As sure as I can be," he'll admit that much. "More than a few of the newer folk have the same sort of reaction to their changes and those longer employed have that opinion, that it's no big deal. I'm not sure how much of a relief hearing that opinion is to most since it still means living with it for a year and a day."

There, that's better than being upset. Childermass himself is fairly certain the supervisors wouldn't outright lie about that, so he, too, clings to that particular hope. He has no intentions of turning back up in England covered in feathers, thank you very much.