"I mean, if you were one of us, I'd spell it out so there weren't clever loopholes. But this is on your honor anyway. So. Yeah. I picked my side, I'm along for the ride, I want to see how the universe goes once fate doesn't have anywhere to sink its hooks in."

"Okay. If you help me out in running my errands and looking after my people, I will not kill you after I take over the world. If you are really objectionable in some way that I need to address I will find a way to do so nonlethally."

"Done. I can unbird people, I think, if that's helpful with your errands."

"Really? How do you do that?"

"Sauron did it, didn't he? I have shapeshifting, I should have 'put this back the way it's supposed to be' in the skillset somewhere."

"Huh. Well, yes, it'll help, if you can do it a bunch of times in a row."

"Give me a bird and I'll give it a go."

"Gimme some suitably worded swearing that you're not fucking with me?"

"I swear that I have never fucked you and don't expect to ever have the oppor- oh, relax, Loki, live a little - I swear that nothing I have said in this conversation has been untrue."

It takes her a minute. Then - debird. "Huh. I think I can do it faster next time."

"Okay. That'll make getting everybody remaining taught to fly and into the city faster. Can you sense other Maiar even if they're invisible or whatever?"

"Yeah."

"Anybody likely to mob me or is it liable to be individuals if any?"

"You've got a reputation, kiddo, I don't think anyone would try it alone."

"Guesses on who and what they'd try tactically?"

"What I told you I'd try. Or come by as you, when you're out flying people. Or ring the whole area in fire and have something prepared to take birds down when they start taking off."

"Anybody around right now?"

"I wouldn't have come by to make a deal if they were. I'm not up for a fight with Sauron, not in the mood he's gonna be in once he's got some feet."

"How good's your range on that?"

"Not as good as the range on your turn-the-continent-purple trick, but I can see people in animal forms."

"Okay. Any obvious flaws in teaching everybody remaining here to fly right now and booking it for safety?"

"Sounds like a plan. I'm gonna have to part ways with you once you're over the mountains, though, at a guess Maitimo is not my biggest fan and wouldn't let me in his city."

"Well, that obviates the use of you being able to de-bird people so we can get through the lot of them at the gates faster. I don't require you to enter the city; you think he'd make a fuss about you being near it in a way I couldn't defuse in time?"

"Hard to guess, we haven't exactly had a conversation, Thauron doesn't keep his psychological profiles in a folder on his desk, all I know is you and you seem pretty defusing-things inclined."