He glanced at him. "It can't help," he said softly. "He isn't here. And we're not there." He shook his head again. "Even Chandra didn't know how Palaton did that with the mirrors. He got the Stone from Ischia to Ytaili. It shouldn't be possible." He closed his eyes. "And if we don't get it back, not only will I have failed my friends, but my family and my city. All of them will die." And people wondered why he needed to drink.