"...should. Let's ask Huan to test it, and maybe also run it by Melian if you can get a hold of her without her just saying 'if you're considering parleying with the Enemy I am obliged to try to stop you'."

"I could try presenting it as a hypothetical question about how oaths work since I am from a place where they don't," Cam says. "Also I went to the Dwarves and they shot at me but it did not work so they talked to me a bit. They want me to quit spying on them and not share their information with Elves as you are all vulnerable to the Enemy."

He winces. "Yeah, fair. I've been hoping I don't recall enough about that first summoning circle, but I probably do, I stacked like a dozen blessings for memory. Just get the suicide triggers up and running as soon as possible. Doriath got copies of the offer of parley so I don't know how hypothetical they'll think your hypothetical is."

"That circle - if the Valar failed to block summoning categorically - will get loose random demons, which is not, like, good, but it will on average get smaller scale and less categorically disastrous mayhem than demons that the Enemy could more easily coerce. Do you think it is a bad idea to go up to Doriath while Melian might feel obliged to try to stop me, stop me how? Any news from Brithombar on how the basement dwellers are doing - maybe I should I go to the cities I rigged to explode and give them copies of the thing as tests, hardly makes the sieges more dire -"

"The basement-dwellers - why do you call them that, by the way? - are still alive. Mithrim might be a good first test. I could ask President Cirdan if he'll send someone to Melian with your question. I don't know how she'd try to stop you and I suppose the attempt might be informative but it's not going to improve our diplomatic relationship with them - if only you'd been summoned thirteen days sooner..."

"If one is going to keep them around it is polite to keep them in the basement so they don't disturb guests. Lots of people don't like them, I don't even like them, I just had to get used to them for med school. I'll go to Mithrim and explain the situation and ask for volunteers and hope they don't keel over, I guess. Asking Círdan to send an envoy is a good idea if there won't be a loss of fidelity in the question itself and he can get an answer in time to decide if we're going or not."

"You may have to give the envoy a lift. We should probably move now if you want to accomplish all that in the next thirty hours."

"Yeah. You staying here or do you want to talk to Círdan in person?"

"I'm more useful here, unless you don't think you'll be able to persuade him to ask. I think you will. He's pretty grounded, he'll have the reflexive 'don't parley with the Enemy why would you ever do that' reaction but I think he'll hear you out anyway."

Nod. "They set up with phones now? What's his number?"

"One."

"...okay!"

So on his way to Mithrim Cam dials one.

He gets a secretary. "Office of the President of the Federated Falas, how can I help you?"

"Hello, this is Cam. Feel free to verify that by writing down something on a piece of paper, I'll read it back to you."

"Done, titled it 'Cam identity verification'."

The piece of paper contains a string of numbers. 

He reads them off. "I'd like to speak with the President about having diplomatic assistance who Doriath won't object to on sight accompany me there to ask a question of the Queen."

"We have an ambassador already in Menegroth, I don't suppose you can drop her a phone?"

"I haven't tried manifesting objects inside the force field and am not sure I should start. I'd also need to know very precisely where to put the phone to do it without looking."

"Okay. Let me put you through to the president."

And a minute later, "Hello, Cam."

"Hi there. I have an idea that might work for making sure Maia-generated oaths are not illusory, which might make it worth going to parley, but I want to confirm with actual Maiar and I'm not sure talking to Melian alone is my best plan."

"I am not sure even that would make it worth going to parley. The Enemy can plausibly give no oaths at all and just attempt trapping you there."

"If my idea works at all, I can verify oaths remotely," Cam says.

"Ah. Well, we're happy to talk to Melian for you. What exactly is the idea?"

"I may be able to selectively materialize recordings of genuine spoken word and avoid false positives on illusions."

"How would that work? Would there need to be a recording device, and would it fail to materialize if there were any illusion sounds recorded on it?"