Which takes a considerable time; even with the seating arrangement worked out well in advance by Lady Alys and her minions, there are still a good few hundred people to be seated at over a dozen tables, according to relative rank. Cordelia and Duo are seated not at the Emperor's table, but only one table away; their seatmates appear to be mostly other High Vor in Cordelia's age range, or the local equivalent.

Most of them are making every effort not to look askance at Duo, or ask them awkward questions.