The assessment took the Six Empires half a day, and the rim spent that half day learning how to stand still again.
Along thousands of territories, kingdoms buried their dead or queued them for revival, patched their walls, and pretended not to stare at the frozen contribution board hanging over everything.
The Regalons used the time the way Big D ordered, which was food, sleep in shifts, and no speculating out loud. The last rule lasted about an hour.
"Eighty-seventh when the calamity appeared," Silvester said, sketching numbers in the dirt of the command rise. "Then a Severe mission fully paid, an emergency hold on the engagement zone, and the flag."
He tapped the last word home. "Fraisea's flag went out on Empire channels. The Hub logged whose admins caught the burrowing before anyone else on the rim."
"Speculating," Big D rasped from where he sat with his eyes closed.
"Mathematics," Silvester said with dignity, and kept sketching.
