In the darkness, Erik frowned. He would not show sympathy or regret for the man who had suffered perhaps as much as he himself in his youth. The composer could wish for different circumstances for his own life, but he wasn't so myopic as to believe that an easier life would have necessarily been a better one. Life was brutal, ugly, and (if one were very lucky) short. One man's suffering may be greater or less than another's, but it was still suffering.
Still, Erik was not pleased to hear that Hannibal had any understanding of--
Hannibal did have the combination. Erik lifted his hand. "Press firmly."
The sound of gears, heavy shifting, and a settling under their feet -- and Erik picked up his portion of their burden again. "The second chord, now," he said quietly, and continued.