So Cam gets into the air and makes a telescope for a view of Angband.

And rains recorders wrapped in paper dangling from parachutes.

And a few hours later there's a document from the Enemy.

We will swear to that with only the revision that if you attempt to harm us at the parley we can respond proportionately. 

"Are we going to attempt to harm them at the parley?" Cam wonders.

"Were you planning to? I don't think I can so much as scratch a Maia without deploying weapons we're pretending not to have."

"I wasn't planning on it, but now I'm wondering if they have some way to be very provocative without violating the oath terms."

"They are in fact continually torturing lots of people; are we going to be provoked if they do it in front of us?  - I suppose if they are planning to somehow kidnap the people I care about before the parley and then surprise us with news of that I'd conceivably be extremely distressed - they did offer to respond 'proportionately', but perhaps they're interpreting that to mean that if I punch Moringotho he can punch me."

"So maybe we allow this if they also say they aren't intending specifically to lure us into activating the clause."

"Seems fair. More parachutes?"

More parachutes! Presumably they have enough recorders now. These papers are wrapped around bricks. The sentiment will probably be lost on them.

I have not the sllghtest desire to get into a shoving match with an angry Elf, comes the reply. That addition is acceptable. See you in sixteen hours; you should be able to conjure the oaths in one. 

Cam is not going to rain thankful bricks on them. He shows the results to Maitimo, texts Fëanáro.

And an hour later, he can conjure oaths spoken aloud and exactly according to the negotiated words. 

He checks really really carefully - conjures several times in case his intent slipped - goes over it word for word - but, yep, checks out.

"Who're we bringing?"

"Do we want to bring people? If we made some kind of mistake and this is deadly, you can be surer of killing one person in time than more, and there are people far more knowledgeable than me but they'd all be for precisely that reason unwise to put in the reach of the Enemy."

"We can skip it," shrugs Cam. "Although now I'm trying to psychoanalyze the offer to let us have company."

"I thought he might be having another go at causing internal political dissent, since he tried so hard at that before and must be very annoyed that it failed. He doesn't understand why it failed well enough to succeed this time, though."

"How would having us bring people cause internal political dissent?"

"If I were choosing who to bring from my people it'd be extremely fraught. I don't think I've explained the whole internal situation because it is by design all strategically irrelevant but it'd give me lots of headaches."

"And I can't even give you an ibuprofen," Cam says. He sighs and checks his messages.

Some people in Doriath can volunteer the names of orc libraries if he's still looking for that. The Elves are pretty sure they've identified which Maia is the president of the orcs and his name is Thauron, not that that'll mean much to Cam. Some families in Brithombar held onto their dead loves ones' chips and are wondering if Cam can bring the dead back. 

No. No he can't. He will have to mention this next time he's in Brithombar. He sets up a reminder. "Orc president is named Thauron," he remarks.

"I've heard of him. The name means 'the abhorred'. Dates back to the first war."

"What a charming name. Does he put that on his business cards?"

"Sure seems to be embracing the role, doesn't he? Mind, it's entirely possible that all the Enemy's lieutenants are sworn one of the really awful oaths like 'I will desire only what Melkor desires', he could have been a lovely person beforehand."

"Why would a lovely person swear that?"