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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.
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Next one is in three weeks and yes. Do you want me to demand my family relocate early? They're going to do it all at once, rather than split their resources between defending two places, and this city might stand as it is but I'd be much happier with a hundred thousand people who are under my command rather than a thousand being paid to do carpentry.
purposeful_glory
I have no opinions on their schedule; Findekáno just suggested I should write.
Ah, so they don't throw away my letters because I can't be trusted. Nolofinwë's replies are quite courteous but never actually reference anything I say and I was never positive he was genuinely reading it.
purposeful_glory
I don't actually know if they're being read, it didn't occur to me that they might not be; but Findekáno is aware that you're writing.
I don't think Nolofinwe will throw them away. If I were him I think I might, at least the content that's not literally surveys of the land and dry descriptions of Angband's defenses. I can run circles around him and he knows it, so why give me an opening? Most people should probably throw away letters from Thauron.
purposeful_glory
You'd think that having this reputation would decrease your effectiveness.
Before the ships went up in flames this was not my reputation.
purposeful_glory
I'm just observing that you're still getting a lot done, although I don't know how much of it is via letter to Nolofinwë.
Nolofinwe will forgive me when I fall to my knees and plead with him for pardon personally, but that's going to have to wait a few years because I can't imagine we'll be in the same place any sooner. And until then he's inconveniently going to regard me as more of a menace than my father, because I have a skillset he's equipped to evaluate.
And then he'll unforgive me again when I whisk his son off to a vacation planet, which is why I haven't addressed any letters to Findekáno.
And then he'll unforgive me again when I whisk his son off to a vacation planet, which is why I haven't addressed any letters to Findekáno.
purposeful_glory
I can presumably address letters to Findekáno nonsuspiciously but I don't know if they will go unshared, given how he reacted back when I asked if he could keep a secret.
When was that? And what did he say?
purposeful_glory
She rummages through her transcripts, is about to fling one to him when a small orc runs out and hugs her leg, hugs the small orc back and sends him back in to his moms, and then separates out and offers him the page. Strategic value, trust my father with anything you can trust me with, etcetera.
Aaargh. Well, I'll write something. If he chooses he can share it. Are your charges all settled? I thought I'd invite all the Elves to what will probably be the world's most awkward dinner at the palace.
purposeful_glory
They seem to be situated, yeah. I should probably pick an apartment near them rather than cluttering your guest rooms.
As you please. You're welcome to join us for dinners, though. I am not particularly worried that I should require a bodyguard but if they like you and trust you it may make conversations more productive.
They're in the spacious dining hall that seats a hundred, this time, gathered around one end of it while Elven attendants - Macalaurë sent me people, finally - bring out food.
"Loki," he says when she arrives, and stands, and goes over to meet her. "You must be exhausted even if magic is no more tiring than counting."
"Loki," he says when she arrives, and stands, and goes over to meet her. "You must be exhausted even if magic is no more tiring than counting."
purposeful_glory
"Magic isn't; tedium is. I was avoiding batches of people that big before for more than one reason. Lucky we made it here without incident, so I can count it worthwhile."
"Staying out ahead of the Enemy is clearly the way to manage this," he says. "I am in fact inclined to ask my family to relocate immediately, but I wanted to discuss it with you and with the people who have been your allies in aiding the Men first."
purposeful_glory
"I see no obvious reason to delay them. Even if they can walk on the snow. It is incredibly unfair that you can walk on snow and I can't, by the way."
"You seem to have gotten compensating advantages in strength," he says, "from watching the fight with Thauron. That was extraordinary." He sits back down. "I trust the rest of you, but I can't trust you'll set aside a grievance that I wouldn't have forgiven in your place. If my family relocates here, it'll be so we can hold these walls, and while I am quite sure that we will hesitate to admit as much, I think everyone would be honored to reearn your trust by risking our lives in your defense. What problems do you anticipate if our host arrives here in a few weeks?"
purposeful_glory
Loki sits. The question doesn't seem to be addressed to her and she doesn't have anything spectacularly insightful to say about it.
There are a lot of objections raised. Maitimo answers them. By the time desserts rolls around half the room is sulking silently and half the room is sulking suspiciously but agreement has been reached. Maitimo eats a melted chocolate thing and licks his fingers and looks very satisfied.
And then Maitimo shows everyone personally to their guest rooms and does not let any sign of exhaustion show until all of them have closed their doors and then leans against the wall for a few seconds in silence.