She offers Promise the paper and pencil.

Promise writes some incomprehensible scribble that might have letters in it.

Sadde squints. "That's really not the same."

"Well, I didn't trace it or anything."

"I know, but I mean—okay, can you, like, write the second half of a word and then the first?"

"That sounds hard. I might need practice."

"I don't know why but I find this really interesting. And funny."

Promise giggles.

"Plain speak is probably superior to regular languages, but apparently not strictly, I guess."

"What's the revealed advantage of regular languages?"

"Ciphers and typing are the obvious ones, anything involving letters and syllables—I wonder how poetry and music work in plain speak."

"Fairies do those."

"I expected you would, but like... Do you rhyme things? How do things scan without syllables?"

"...I'm not sure how to answer that."

"Why not?"

"Yes, we rhyme things? Things scan?"

"But... I mean, a song in one language rhymes in it but usually not in another language, what would I hear if I heard a fairy song? How do your words rhyme if the specific sounds don't have anything to do with the words?"

"Are you trying to get me to sing you a song?"

"...well, I wasn't, but now I'm curious."

So Promise sings a song. ...She harmonizes. With herself. It mostly rhymes.

"You're harmonising with yourself."

"The song has harmonies in it."

"Yes, so I gather, but. I. Only have. Like. One throat. I can't do that thing."

"You can't sing harmony?"

"No! I'm pretty sure no mortals can."