private final Object[] help_copy( Object[] helper ) {
    // Read the top-level KVS only once.  We'll try to help this copy along,
    // even if it gets promoted out from under us (i.e., the copy completes
    // and another KVS becomes the top-level copy).
    Object[] topkvs = _kvs;
    CHM topchm = chm(topkvs);
    if( topchm._newkvs == null ) return helper; // No copy in-progress
    topchm.help_copy_impl(this,topkvs,false);
    return helper;
  }