"Making bodies is actually one of the hardest things for Maiar. Physics doesn't quite work right around them, so they have to hold all the proteins in the right folded patterns by conscious effort. And then just making a body and hoping the soul's stuck around and takes it up isn't really the best approach. I think it's traumatic, coming back?"

"Oh. That is unfortunate. I can sometimes solve technical problems, but I have no expertise in mitigating trauma."

"Solving the technical problem'd still help a lot. How would you do that?"

"I don't know yet. I would need to learn the details first."

"I don't think we could make bodies. It takes a Vala millions of years of practice."

"There might be something to be learned from the fact that Melkor was able to create me, though it would be easier if I knew how he'd done it."

"Do you have any idea? But also, Melkor's a Vala too."

"I had very few hints about the process. It's just that... it suggests an expansion of the boundary of what is known to be possible."

"Yeah. Enemy can't create life, he tried that for Ages, so he must have pulled it off some other way."

"If only I knew how."

"No one said anything that might be a hint?"

"I did manage to indirectly gather the impression that it required innovation and the investment of enough resources that he was reluctant to do it again even though I was very useful. But no such detail about the process itself."

"Well, I'm glad he's not likely to try it again."

"Yes, that is very fortunate."

"I mean, also, if they were all like you it'd be good for us if he did. But they might not all be like you."

"Even if they were like me, they would have much more difficulty betraying him usefully now that I've already done it. He might force them to be very helpful to demonstrate their loyalty and then kill them before they had a chance to turn on him."

"Oh."

"So it would not necessarily be a good thing if he created another one and she was just like me."

"Well. She wouldn't be in torment forever, at least."

"There is that. But if she were really one of me she would prefer to be in torment forever and have caused significant setbacks for Melkor than not and not."

"Do you think you'll still feel that way long after he's dead."

"I am completely certain of it."

"Well, I guess that's good."

"Better than if I would eventually be driven to regret it, yes."

"I'm still hoping we can eventually fix it. It's just too awful, otherwise."