If I had a replacement ready that I picked out myself, wouldn't that ruin the point?

[ he left them scrambling. he really said go and survive without me now ]

The structures are in place and there's enough good, prominent people on the island that I trust it won't all go to Hades immediately. I wouldn't have left if I thought everything would fall apart just from my departure.

But I would rather take a period of momentary struggle rather than a century of stagnation.