"Usually I am the first one to suggest that solution to problems. Yeah, you could do that."

"Do you think Timothy'd appreciate it?"

" - I mean, if he thought you would do it he couldn't have gotten this far at all but I don't know how to reason about stuff like that - I am also worried he just kind of gave himself preferences compatible with getting along with shitslug and what Timothy-before would have wanted is not the same thing as what Timothy-now would want...."

Shiver.

"But, uh, I can say for sure that having no one to talk to but shitslug will be fucking him up and he has no one to talk to but shitslug because we all hate shitslug. So, like, if you have any friends who would be like 'oh, yeah, Yeerks, sounds great -"

"Well, normally I'd say Ister but his made him commit half a dozen murders..."

"Ugh. Is he okay -"

"Well, yes, I think, but not eager to repeat the experience."

"Kay. Well. That's all the mature communication I'm up for. Take care."

"You too."

He leaves.

Cam thinks for a while and then goes looking for the nearest chip Maitimo.

They're around. Bit subdued. "- you okay -"

"I've been better.

Do you think Timothy would rather not continue to have the option to host his Yeerk."

" - no. I - expect the current situation is really really bad for him and it'd be very valuable to fix it as soon as possible, but - no."

"Okay."

"We just need to find somebody. It's not on you."

"What's the process on finding somebody?"

"Problem is that people didn't get the most favorable of introductions. Maybe we can ask around on an Endorë, people there seem - higher-variance -"

"Maybe Ister'll be into it after some cooldown time. Not sure where you put an infested daeva, though it's likely it'd get left behind if he took a summons I guess."

"How much cooldown time?"

"No idea, and he'd probably want breaks."

Sigh. "There're billions of people, we'll find someone."

"After how long?"

"As fast as we possibly can."