"Okay, but I'm condemning a prince raised in Valinor who threatens to murder his siblings even if Melkor prodded him."

"That is much more reasonable," says Shirask. "So, Curufinwë Fëanáro founded the city of Formenos, and some time passed during which I don't know what happened, and Melkor went away to fetch an abomination from beyond the Void and then returned with her to destroy the Trees and raze Formenos and murder Finwë and steal the Silmarils. Curufinwë Fëanáro was not in the city at the time. It was Melkor's wish that he be utterly devastated by grief and anger."

"Since he's murderous even without a reason."

"That seems inaccurate but maybe I'm not understanding what you mean," she says.

"Fëanáro is a terrible person, from everything you've said. So obviously making him even angrier and more inclined to act out helps the Enemy."

"I don't think of him as a terrible person but it's possible I have low standards."

"Elves don't behave themselves the way you've described. We're better than that."

"I'm still more inclined to blame Melkor. But I would not like to conduct experiments about how many centuries of Melkor's personal attention are required before the average Elf turns to violence. Then again, do the prisoners of Angband count?"

"...different kind of pressure. And they're hurting people who'd be hurt anyway."

"Hmm?"

"If an Elf in Valinor murders someone, they're introducing violence. That person would otherwise have lived forever. If an Elf in Angband murders someone..."

"Oh, yes, I see. Elves in Angband also sometimes commit imaginary murder which is subjectively indistinguishable from the real thing, against imaginary people also subjectively indistinguishable from the real thing who are not imagined to be in Angband."

"...why?"

"Because it amuses Melkor to reward them for imaginary murder during false escapes and then release them to go commit real murder in the belief that this escape must also be false."

"No, I mean, why would they do it?"

"Sometimes the imaginary Elves around them shift abruptly into imaginary orcs, or real ones."

"That's - pretty awful."

"Yes."

"We don't usually let ex-prisoners in because they sometimes go crazy and kill everyone."

"I imagine that the pattern I just described is the reason why they do that."

"Guess it's better than the Enemy having mind control, which is what we thought was going on."

"As far as I'm aware he does not technically have mind control, but the ability to induce hallucinations of that kind can be put to similar effect."

"I bet."

"Some people cannot be induced to commit any imaginary murders. Sauron's favourite prisoner never did as far as I know, and I'd expect to know," she adds. "But I've gotten out of order. I apologize."

"Melkor destroyed Valinor and ran away. He was hoping that'd make the angry Noldo more angry."