"Well, that's good."

"Yes. If he were infallible I would have a problem."

"And the whole world would have an even worse one."

"That too."

"So the newcomers are going to want their Silmarils back."

"Yes," Shirask agrees.

"But they're really powerful and the newcomers can't defend them."

"I don't have solid information on the newcomers' capacity to defend them. It may be that the newcomers are not only able to defend them but will find them useful to the project of defeating Melkor, in which case we should give them to the newcomers as soon as we find that out. Right now, the newcomers do not know the Silmarils are here, and this is my preferred state of affairs because if they find out the Silmarils are here they will have to ask for them back, and if we don't give them back we will have a problem, and if we do give them back and the newcomers turn out to be unable to defend them we will have another, different problem."

"Secret Silmarils until we learn more about the newcomers, got it."

"It is also useful to have Melkor at the very least uncertain about where I have taken the Silmarils, even if it's plausible that he might guess," she adds. "There are other places I could have taken them. I was considering Valinor, or the bottom of the ocean. So keeping them secret serves multiple purposes."

"How were you imagining you'd get to Valinor?"

"The practical problems with that approach were one reason I discarded it. But I expect I could have managed if I'd set my mind to it."

"They'd have killed you the minute you got there, too."

"Yes, that was another reason. I don't want to die while I still have things to do."

"What things are you planning on doing?"

"I don't know yet. It depends substantially on what I find out about the newcomers."

"And how are you planning to find out anything about them?"

"I don't know yet. I am sure opportunities will arise."

"Maybe they'll send an emissary."

"Maybe they will. We'll see."

"Do you think they could kill the Enemy? With whatever it is they used to destroy Angband?"

"I don't know whether killing the Enemy is possible. If it is, the newcomers seem to have the best chance at it."

"Or the Valar. If they're coming."

"The newcomers are strongly motivated to kill Melkor. The Valar have not shown themselves inclined to do so at any past opportunity. It may be that they have changed their minds. I'll believe that when I see it."

"Fair enough. But strongly motivated and still just people - only how'd they level Angband -"