Racist nutbars of Nys

"Time flows differently in the First World, Madds. For example, it was only a few days in the First World for us, but weeks passed here for you. And the soldiers really were there. Vreel heard the guns. She also saw Thyatera - she's real, alive and well.

"If Queen Thyatera did come back to this plane, isn't it possible that Psyra would rally behind her?"

Madds rubbed his chin, considering the question. "I guess it's possible," he said at last. "If she wanted to take on that role, anyway. Maybe she's had enough of being a leader. But if she's been in the First World all this time, she'd be pretty out of touch with current events. Someone would have to take some time to get her up to speed, teach her about modern technology and the past four hundred-some years of history. Things would have been very different when she was queen - I'd imagine for as many people as might see her as a symbol of a free Psyra, there might be as many others who'd see her as a relic of a different age, obsolete and dangerously ignorant of the present. That is, if they take time to think about it at all," he added with a cynical shrug.

Dorien considered this. He'd been actively avoiding trying to remember much about his experience in the first world, possibly out of fear that it would somehow jinx things, as if he'd discover that he'd been dreaming somehow and all the good things that had happened since his return; the imperial windfall, the business, Misery and her mother's independence; all of that would simply evaporate like an overzealous phenol reaction.

"It's a worrying thought," he said finally, "If the two of them managed to get together... Psyra's great revolutionary and its 'rightful' queen..."

"She was frozen for a few centuries, so she might not have grown bored or tired of leadership," Gen mused. "So... All of this is conjecture, but do you think we ought to mention it to someone who can look into it...? No one brought it up when we were debriefed at the palace."

"I'm not sure that the ramblings of some psyrene idiot is really the kind of thing we can take to the emperor..." Dorien said.

"I wasn't considering the Emperor to be someone who could actually look into it. I was thinking more along the lines of military intelligence folks."

"Once we're back, I can ask around and see if anyone has heard any more... substantive rumours," Madds said. "Maybe they're already on the case. But I could understand why they'd keep quiet about it if it's still speculative."

"I guess it can't hurt to ask around."