The company, of course, accepted this business-as-usual with no more than the usual chaffing, but some of the townsponies raised surly objections. Rose addressed those personally in a brisk, no-nonsense tone. "No time for tea and biscuits. Strike the tents, gear up for travel, rig the shelter halves as travoises for the wounded and infirm, form up for the march—how long do you think that'll take? Whatever your guess, I can guarantee it'll be too low. On foot it's more than a full day to Tall Tale, folks, so we need to get going as soon as we possibly can."