"We are nothing if not disruptive," John tells her. "I think we will manage to stall long enough for the Grand Enchanter and her people to arrive."

However.

"But I think if we leave here without forging some familiarity among the other fraternities here, we'll simply end up in the same position in a year. Perhaps even as little as six months."

Groundwork for the future must be laid. There is simply no way around that fact.