I wouldn't know; it has been a very long time since I have been in the sort of situation to which sadness was not an appropriate response.

Pause.

I have in fact been happy before in my life, in case that was unclear. Multiple times since my grandfather's death, in fact.

Okay.

But it's very unlikely to happen again while I am still so far away from being able to uphold my responsibility to my empire, and I have to be able to keep working regardless or I will just continue being stranded and unhappy forever.

Can I ask what about this planet's weird thing bothers you?

The way they arrange themselves has - uncomfortable similarities to things I've seen in my father's court, where it is... not at all a harmless aspect of a healthily functioning society. In particular, if you asked Nirue I'm sure she'd say there's no fundamental difference between the way she 'has' my friend Ruava and the way the people of this world 'have' one another.

(Implications again - Ruava is or was his only friend, and was created and raised by Nirue entirely for the purpose of being her torture-plaything.)

...ah. Okay.

It's clear that that is not in fact what's going on here, but the associations still loom.

That's understandable.

Yes.

Anyway. Planet-helping. They're so helpful and the planet will be so helped.

Yep, that.

And they're closing in on the time when Cam said he might be summoned away—do you in fact know if they're going to try to dismiss and resummon you?

Their letters indicated that. They thought I might have been dismissed when I vanished in the first place and figured I probably hadn't when I didn't show up.

I don't expect my communication power to reach between worlds but I will write you letters describing my progress.

I'd appreciate that, although I don't check my mail very often when constantly resurrecting people.

Understandable. You will eventually be done constantly resurrecting people, however.

Yeah. Few more months.

I will keep an eye out particularly for anything that could be used as a means of generalized resurrection.

Thank you. Very much.

Apart from the obvious considerations inherent to the situation itself... I would like for you to one day be in a situation where it is appropriate to be happy.

I would like that too.

Good luck.

Thank y

And gone.

Well.

He finishes up all the work on the planet of the uncomfortable social customs. He writes Cam a letter describing everything he did and where he left off.

He gets in his flying canoe and takes it back to the monument, and adds a postscript indicating that he can backtrack successfully, and conscientiously checks for a reply although he's sure Cam is busy, and then he heads out again in a new direction.