"I wonder about that world the train originates from. In the many discussions we passengers have had, there was a suggestion that the train's world was devoured by those world-eating shadow beings. I don't know where the information came from, or even if it's true. But if it is, the train is an orphan and must find its own goals and engineer its own survival. And as for the desire not to be controlled. . . as I said, I can understand it. I was thinking that in its rush to make its own destiny, it may have forgotten that those who help it have desires as well."

He shook his head dubiously. "The non-traveling self is left where the train picks us up? I doubt this. I was picked up while traveling in spirit form in the Void, and I seriously doubt that I am still there. And even if I had been picked up from my own world or one of the worlds I lived in later on, I wouldn't have a caretaker. I'd probably be dead by now."

"And as for the train being malicious, I don't believe that at all. I think its method of acquiring Void Warriors is pragmatic, not hostile."