"That's a relief. We can recruit from Har and plan without things deteriorating any more out there."

"So you were suggesting more heat cores and I thought we should have illusions for different groups of people who are staying. And we need to find and rescue people in parallel, not serially. How many force mage teams do you think we'll need?"

They get to work on planning.

A few people approach them because of the sign. One of them is from another Earth where it's 1812, and from Australia, and would be happy to let a few dozen people through if they'll work for his shipping company. Pay's fair, or so he claims. One is from some kind of magic theocracy and doesn't explain very clearly and says they only want unmarried women. Katherine makes a face and says that that won't be necessary, have a nice day. One of them is from a rich, liberal, English-speaking-for-some-reason not-Earth place, and will let one family of refugees through and no more.

"Wow. You'd think Har would be the least helpful."

The next person to see the sign offers asylum and personalized language-tutoring and job-finding for "lots of people, maybe most of them" by which they turn out to mean a couple hundred.

"That's still quite helpful if anyone would like to go with you. Thank you. We still have a lot of planning to do but with any luck, Milliways will be convenient about timing."

She's going to verify that his world is a decent one with Bar later, of course, though.

(Based on its published works that world is a low tech one with high infant mortality but the country the door opens on is politically stable and cosmopolitan.)

"So when we open the door to Har we start knocking down walls, I buy your house, we go to the city looking for force and illusion mages to hire - maybe we should get Nikolas while we're there, I bet he has good ideas - anything I'm forgetting?"

"Should the imperial government be aware they're going to have thousands of new citizens soon, or is it better to ask forgiveness than permission in this case?"

"Let's let them figure it out. I'll send them a letter when we're done but they'll see when people start showing up."

With the door open they can get out without too much trouble. Valanda pays Nimo to watch the door for them.

In the capital there are only a few force mages interested in working for them right now.

Valanda goes to check if Nikolas is in his store.

"Mr. Roth is not in today!" A cashier cheerfully informs him.

"Did he tell you where to send people who are looking for him?"

"Uh no but I can take messages that will be sent to him via computer."

"I'd like it if you'd tell him there's another door in New Dover and I want his advice about things."

Click click typety typety- "There, message sent. I don't know if Mr. Roth will-" Ping! "-Uh. He'll be here in five minutes, apparently, Mr. Valanda."

"Thank you! While I'm here can you recommend me any force mages?" His hands go to his necklace as he asks.

"I'm afraid I don't have any particular recommendations for force mages, but we do offer a few transportation products by special order."

In that case he'll go wait outside for Nik.

And he seems to just appear out of nowhere with a slight breeze, like it amuses him to do. "Good afternoon, gov."

"Nimo found a door, it's in Katherine's house, I thought you could help with things. We're heading back there as soon as we've found some force mages, wanna meet us there?"

"I have a bunch of force mages I've been paying to send things into orbit, you can borrow those if you wanna pay them. Depending on how many you need a trip to the mainland might be called for. And, sure, Milliways is always fun."

"I would love to borrow those. We're going to need so many. Who are they and how do I find them?"

He gives names and probably places. "I'll let you pitch this job yourself, since I still don't know where it is."

"It's in the icy death world the English people came from. See you at Milliways if you're going."

And he'll go try to recruit Nik's force mages.

They're used to generous pay, but are totally up for being hired, including the thwilit with two force mage birds in its flock.

Hey, a thwilit! Convenient! He hires one of their illusionists too.

Now where's Katherine gotten to?