The hourglass is downstairs, too, which means he can't actually tell how much time has truly passed since he came upstairs. Ugh. This is ridiculous. He feels like he's back at the Chantry, squirming in his seat during lessons.

(A pretty apt comparison, considering Cullen never had a problem focusing while the sisters prattled on.)

Giving up, he slides back down the ladder and retrieves his book.