Phoenix made sure the cravat was snug enough before tying the ends in a knot. “I don’t think there’s any surefire way to cope,” he said, dropping his hands to his sides as he looked around. “Not for something like this, anyway.” Not that he was any expert on the matter, of course. Although he’d had his own share of time-sensitive crises, they didn’t come close to anything like this.

He turned back to Tyki and sighed, offering him the only advice he could think of. “Sometimes it might be enough just to keep your goal in mind, though. Knowing that it’ll all be worth it in the end.”