The cutoff that leaves Tagg blind to events beyond his host, including his own castle's destruction.
Donut wonders aloud whether Epitome Tagg still owns the Vengeance Daughter show and whether that could be used to reach him. Baroness Victory interrupts: no, he has no outside communications anymore — by Donut's own doing, if she recalls.
The consequence dominates the chapter. Tagg negotiates from a picture of the world weeks out of date, still planning to finish his procedure at the Reaver Castle and unaware it has been nuked. Carl and Donut exchange a look and let him keep believing it.
The information blackout that makes Tagg's demands obsolete and Carl's stalling possible.