The Bleaching is insatiable. It's impossible to ignore, once it sets in. The effort it takes to pursue anything but a desperate cure is monumental, and only the foolish would turn their attention from their work for even a single moment...

But of course, all good things must come to an end. Some far too early. And when Javel was buried, he found himself unable to quite leave. Though he could move towards his research at only the traditional length of a rooster's step — yes, yes, a cockstride, if you must be vulgar — per sunrise, he was sure that one day, he would finally... just... in a little while...

... But moving away from it, especially after 40 years, ended up being far easier than he had originally suspected.