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Tumunzahar makes Menegroth look like a contract project. Which, the Dwarves assure her, it was. The stonework is astonishingly careful and beautiful, silky to the touch up close while from a distance it gives the impression of stretching on forever above, a sky of stone with crystals for stars. Vast natural cave systems are connected by dozens of perfectly smooth, gently sloped broad stone pathways from which the fall, if she fell, would be several miles down. There are handrails. "We use those to move materials carts," someone explains to her, "we're not going to be reckless."
There's an amphitheater, a place where a hundred of the stone walkways twine around to create space for a hundred thousand people to sit in close proximity, and someone is giving a lecture or a demonstration at the base of it, the seats closest to him filled with eager, tiny, bearded Dwarf-children.
And they spiral down, and down, and down, past waterfalls and egg-sized gemstones left half in the rock and halls of crystal. Everything grows gradually more ornate and more perfectly maintained and the clang of hammers fades behind them. "People say," her guide says, "that we only have a council instead of a single King because there were nine winners of the competition to design the throne so we couldn't just select one person to sit it." And they push open the doors to reveal, indeed, nine thrones so elaborate it would be hard to choose between them, and nine squat bearded people sitting them.
purposeful_glory
All right, bring me something and you can pick your volume. Oh, I suppose you could have a sound-baffle box?
Even better! You can just turn a jewelry box into a sound-baffle and the things within it into carriers for whichever songs you have. He starts walking.
purposeful_glory
She follows him. I'm starting to think about a combat training regimen. I told your cousins to give me thirty who can then pass on what I teach them when I'm not around; you're welcome to match.
Thank you. Cáno has a song that makes it hard to lie, doesn't he? Can we copy that one for talking with Sarpalarë?
purposeful_glory
He didn't mention it. Do you think it'd be competitive with her oath or that she's legitimately inclined under that to be uncooperative?
I think she is, under that, terrified. I can't imagine she couldn't be any more communicative if she wanted to be. And - hmm, if we're trading songs, we have things we could offer Macalaurë for that one. It'd advantage them far more than it'd advantage us, but I think that horse is out of the barn.
purposeful_glory
I don't have any good solutions to the fact that they are better able to make use of things, in general, than you are. But if you'd like to make a trade I'll orchestrate it, especially if I get a song. I want songs.
I wouldn't slow them down if I could. We may need them. Anyway, I'd need to ask the people involved - in Valinor copying someone else's composition without their leave, or sharing a copy you had with permission, was one of the most serious insults one could deliver, I'm not at all sure anyone will want to trade - and let you know.
purposeful_glory
Oh dear, I didn't realize I'd trod on a cultural problem. I mean, the fast versions are probably impossible to usefully decompose into playable songs, they're only good for the effects, but still...
Yeah, I imagine Macalaurë was much more being upset about his compositions being copied than about his cousins gaining strategically, and it's why I initially hesitated, but - he doesn't have much ground to stand on, and I assume he knows it. So we insulted him very seriously. He pulls out a jewelry box. We'll apologize when they do.
purposeful_glory
Well, I'll apologize, at any rate, and make it clear that nobody's getting the pretty version, just the compressed kind. Which things do you want to do which effect?
purposeful_glory
As long as I'm offending him anyway. And she puts spells to jewels and sorts them into the sides of the box and baffles it.
Thank you. It's a very intelligent use of your abilities. Findaráto says he'd be happy to give you a few more to try, if you're interested. Starting a fire and moving a boat, I think particularly, and he's wondering if the boat one could have effects on a flying bird.
purposeful_glory
I would love to have them. Is he going to mind if I give fast unaesthetic copies to people who would benefit from the functionality?
I explained that bit, and he still sounded interested, maybe discuss it with him further? If you say that even Macalaurë went along I am sure he will, but it might be nicer to just persuade him it's a good thing in itself.
purposeful_glory
Also looking back on the interaction I don't think Macalaurë would have been so enthusiastic about helping me hack spells if he'd known I was going to do this beforehand. Where is he? Have we even been introduced?
Oh, you listened to Macalaurë sing and then told him you'd be making and distributing copies for anyone who wanted one? He shakes his head. I wouldn't have recommended that but I suppose they want to be on your good side as much as anyone else.
I don't think you have. He's Artanis's brother. He was pretty occupied on the Ice doing this full-time, and he went out to meet the local population as soon as we had established ourselves at all here.
I don't think you have. He's Artanis's brother. He was pretty occupied on the Ice doing this full-time, and he went out to meet the local population as soon as we had established ourselves at all here.
purposeful_glory
I didn't know it was a thing! I had this problem with the Dwarves, too, the other way around, one wanted to trade for a look at my science notes and I thought then I wouldn't have them to trade later and he told me he wouldn't just go share my ideas and I told him I was used to assuming everybody in an entire population of Quendi could hear me and would be able to get the information later from one another even if they weren't paying attention. I'll apologize to Macalaurë. She shakes her head, writes down that she should do that, and then says, Introduce me to Findaráto?
He's on his way.
Here already, actually, says another voice, and someone opens the door. He is blond, too thin, wearing a lot of jewelry, smiling broadly. Loki. I regret that I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you earlier.
Here already, actually, says another voice, and someone opens the door. He is blond, too thin, wearing a lot of jewelry, smiling broadly. Loki. I regret that I haven't had the pleasure of meeting you earlier.
Findekáno says - actually, Finno, perhaps you can say it again? I got a bit lost in a few places. He sits down. He's carrying a small stringed instrument.
purposeful_glory
I can 'record' sounds I hear. And then loop them so they keep playing without my attention, and take them apart and put them back together, and affect their volume and location and speed. Turns out it works on musical spells.