"What."

What else was she supposed to say to that?

"What do you mean no?"

"Not no, exactly, but -" Seven Hundred Vines And No Ropes Glanced over her shoulder at the crowd of impatient faces and released the arm of Four Angles, Twelve Intersecting Lines. "Just a moment, everyone," she announced with easy confidence before turning back to the engineer and lowering her voice. "I really must thank you again for allowing us to bear witness in this holiest of moments. Your generosity and patience, of course, cannot be overstated. If I can just make one... small... suggestion." She paused and took a deep breath. "Given the importance of the occasion, I'm sure you agree that it is imperative we present the best appearance possible to our soon-to-be god. Therefore it is also imperative that we prune our ranks of those who would risk jeopardising that image."

"I already tried that," Four Angles said tiredly, voice low more for No Ropes' sake than her own. "I couldn't get rid of them. We've pushed this back so far already...and trust me, it doesn't make as much of a difference to it as it does to us."

No Ropes raised a hand and curled two fingers sympathetically. "Let me talk to them. I'll have your communion chamber lighter in but a moment." Without waiting for a response, she turned and strode over to Eyes Behind Countless Silken Curtains, who was tapping a foot impatiently. Beneath the buzz of chatter rising all over the room as the rest of the attendees wondered at the delay, it was impossible to hear No Ropes' expert murmuring. What was plainly visible was Silken Curtains' growing agitation. As No Ropes grew increasingly frantic in her attempts to placate them, Silken Curtains' gestures only grew more emphatic. Finally No Ropes was forced to raise her hands in surrender and leave a furious Silken Curtains to fume as she retreated to Four Angles' side.

"I see what you mean," she whispered. Four Angles, for her part, looked suitably unimpressed.

"As I was saying...It really does not make as big of a difference as you would expect. Understand that most iterator founding groups have had at least one complete embarrassment among them."

No Ropes cleared her throat and clasped her hands together in a valiant effort at holding back a bark of laughter. "I know when to admit defeat. Please, proceed."

"Very well."