Star stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. “You have several significant flaws, including that once you are convinced you are capable of one thing of a certain scale, you are equally convinced you can handle more. You do not allow for their cumulative effects upon you. You are doing what you can.” Rose brought a tea tray and poured a half-cup, then added honey and two syrups. Patiently, Rose offered the cup to Kordas, and he accepted it using both hands because he was a little shaky at the moment.

Rose said, “Thanks to you, every Doll has a talisman that will take it to the refuge. Even the Record Keeper. And the hostages will be taken there as well. And everyone in your home who is willing to go will be there as well. That is three times as much as you had thought you could do. Chance and the future are uncertain; but these things are true.”

“Yes, but—”

Star stopped him with, “We intend to empty the royal stables of horses. They will come with us.”

He stared at Star’s “face” in disbelief.

“So no matter what should betide, this much will be true. At the end of the Regatta, the Emperor will have no servants and no horses, and the entire Palace will be in disarray. No one left will know how to react. Most of the humans here scarcely know how to care for themselves.” There was no doubt of the contempt in the Doll’s voice. “And when the Palace is in disarray, what do you think the courtiers will do?”

Kordas was a third of the way into his tea, and could only murmur “Um . . .”