We first encountered the spiders when one of them grew big enough - by drinking the Light of Valinor - to cross the world in a few strides. And they're said to be abominations from beyond the Void. Going around eating suns seems like a thing they possibly might do.

Oh. That's concerning. - By intelligent what do you mean?

When they invade they're organized. I don't know if there's a single Elven-level intelligence organizing them or if the hive has a sort of collective intelligence or if they're individually smart - they don't talk and don't respond when we talk.

And I assume they're not just deaf or something.

The Thindar did at one point make the catastrophic mistake of assuming that because Dwarves don't have osanwe they weren't people. I suppose it's possible we're erring similarly with the giant man-devouring spiders, but I don't know how to check.

I could see if they give me an emotion read because animals don't, but that's not a perfect guarantee, the evil aliens at home have no emotions and are smart enough to count as people. Just, evil ones.

The spiders are evil ones. 'smart enough to count as people' isn't usually how I think about worthiness of moral concern, but if it's important to you we can find the means to check it.

I'd like to be at least a little circumspect about it. If you haven't communicated with them at all they could have some sort of underlying reason for doing things.

I will tell the guards we have on the border of the valley to expect you, if you want to go cautiously poke around. Our resources are more broadly at your disposal should you require them.

...I need to figure out some way of getting ahold of Lúthien from a distance.

We have instantaneous long-distance communication devices, but they're dangerous should they fall into the wrong hands. She and you can have two if you can keep them safe.

Dangerous how?

People in possession of any one of them could eavesdrop on and potentially distort conversations happening through any of the others. If they have mindcontrol powers in general they'd have them over anyone using a palantir. All of them are very well defended and everyone who currently has one has my trust.

Might be worth it in the short term until you can put up, like, cell phone towers.

Alright. I'll have two that aren't critically necessary for reconstruction logistics brought here. In the meantime we can use osanwe relays, do you need Luthien again? Out of curiosity, how did you even meet her? To my knowledge there aren't any mortals in Doriath.

Some kind of monster was in Doriath somehow and it transported her right to the point at which I began my time loop on Earth. I got her wished into the loop with me. Unless the forest of spiders is right nearby or there's more I should be doing here before I go investigate spiders, I was imagining I'd get her to take me there.

Nothing else comes to mind. I'll try to have people filtered by having strong useful desires by the time you return from that. Do you also want to screen them for whether it's acceptable to you to give them magic powers?

Seems more efficient that way, more magi around makes all kinds of things potentially easier. She pulls out a few more copies of the song and headphones.

Thank you. 

And he has someone tell Luthien to drop by.

She bounces to outside the door. And knocks. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. Do, uh, people know -"

"Trustworthy people."

This is, if not a lie, at least a bit misleading. People do not know.

Sigh. Elves. Bella explains the spiders situation and the offer of palantiri until they have something else set up.

Yeah, sounds like a good idea. Everything okay? They're not turning out to be suspicious?

Everything's fine.

Okay. Spiders?