"Well, for all I know Lúthien has been hollering at me and I just can't hear; no way to know which unless she gets through or I go back to Doriath."

"Send them all our blessings, when you do. I expect they'd also be delighted to get some lobster, but the roads aren't safe and a bird couldn't carry it."

"I can take a few lobsters - if, and only if, they're already dead - the same way I transport what I'm wearing," says Loki. "Nothing too bulky, that gets left behind, but you could fill a medium-sized bag with them."

"They'll be a delicacy," she says, giggling. "All right, I'll see to it that you leave with some lobsters. I'll head out when you're ready to get some sleep."

"Where is it you're putting me?"

"The room right behind me. The kids have been having nightmares since their dad died, so they share a room now and I moved into the one that used to be my son's. We built the house together, and our old bedroom feels - well, too big. I'll sort it out once the kids stop wanting to all be close and start demanding their own space again."

Nod, nod. "I'll probably sit up a little working on my next spell but I'll be ready to sleep soon."

"All right. I'll put more tea on."

After a while the woman comes in with more tea. She looks around at the spell outlines, smiles, and leaves.

"Thank you," Loki says, regarding the tea, and she sips and works and eventually gets to a good stopping place and goes to bed.

In the morning there are three kids racing around the kitchen while their mother makes lobster stew.

"Good morning," says Loki.

"Morning! There are a few people sitting outside in hopes of a talk on your knowledge, I think. One of them brought potatoes, and another brought oil!"

"Is that related to the talk or no?"

"Yes, it's for a thank-you for talking, we're using it for breakfast."

"Well, I'd better give a good talk, then."

"People don't usually give talks. I'm not sure there are particular expectations."

"Is there an expectation about whether I'll start before or after breakfast?"

"Oh, definitely eat first, they brought you food!"

"All right." So Loki eats fried potatoes and then goes out to see who wants to see what she has to say.

There are three people, all of them wearing minimal and salt-encrusted clothes, smiling cheerfully at her.

"Good morning! Thank you for the food. Science lecture time?"

"Go ahead," one says.

She produces her notes and reads through them, pausing for questions periodically.