"Yes."

"The Emperor may be unpleasant but he's never done anything like that."

"Good."

"I have heard that he tortures people," she clarifies, "but - one at a time, and he doesn't bring their kids into it. Doesn't hurt kids at all, actually, that I know of."

"Better than Melkor, at any rate."

"Being better than Melkor is not very impressive."

"It's really not."

"Do you mean to go and talk to him?"

"I'm thinking about it."

"Well. Good luck. Try not to provoke him into torturing you."

"I will certainly try. I can die any time I want, there's that."

Snort. "And then I guess you'll find out whether he can bring people back to life."

"I suppose. I'd be easier than a Dwarf, and I suspect you work similarly."

"For all I know he can stop you from dying in the first place. It's usually not wise to bet on the Emperor not being able to do things."

"I might try anyway."

Shrug. "I'll not try to stop you."

"I will be very careful and see if anyone has advice before I approach."

Nod.

"Do you have any?"

"Hmm. ...if you do get advice closer to the source, pay attention to who you get it from. It could be in some people's interest to mislead you."

"That's good to know, thank you."

"You're welcome."

She thinks for a moment, then adds: "I do think he cares something for the peace and safety of his empire. If there was some unfathomable disaster threatening my village that I couldn't face on my own, something that seemed likely to roll over us and keep going if no one stopped it, I'd send for the Emperor and expect him to make it better rather than worse."

"That's reassuring."

Nod.

"What is the best way to get to a port city, should I just walk?"