[ a sigh and Stephen's head goes the other way, raised to eyeball the ceiling. Damian's not off the mark: he did say all these things. it's just a shame that this'll knock him. everything else he's doing is going well. ]

You did. [ you told him. he concedes. it all happened as he said it would. and - ] And barely anybody else has paid the blindest bit of attention.

You're close to it, so it's all you can see. But there are already more people in the debate moving things on than there were involved in that conversation. The plan is fine. You're adapting with the changes as you always do, and that's why you were the right one for this job.

You'll see this through just fine. But if you need to take a break, take one. It'll be there when you go back to it.