“The floorplan is a bit puzzling, isn’t it?” Pal says wryly. “I still need to map it, though I’m already half convinced that the result will be nonsense. We can’t really rely on stability of place, you see.” That had been true before, but now, with trees and swamps where cacti and deserts had once been, Wellstone’s stability seems seems even more precarious.

He dismisses the apology with a wave. “No need—I’m just checking to see if anything’s missing after the latest disaster. So far, so good. If you’re still interested, I’m happy to share some of my notes.”