"Yeah. But the baseline when he came down here last was that Edie was very very tempted."

"What I mean is that if he's sworn to do his best guess of what your alt wants, or anything like that, this can and has covered swearing new things without any occurrent intervention at all."

"Right. He - I wish we'd known how long it'd been for them, some of these things I'd expect to take time to coerce out of him but perhaps a lot less of it after centuries of being subjected to this -"

"Bar had to ask how he wanted to pay and I got my money minus Findekáno's dinner from before back off the tab so your alt has been here long enough to get hungry once and not longer."

"I guess that's something."

"That's something."

He collapses onto Cam with an exhausted whimper. "I hate him. I hate him and I very profoundly wish that I'd reacted properly."

Cam wraps Maitimo up in his wings.

And eventually someone comes down. "Hey!" he says to Bar. And then, "hey!" to Tyelcormo.

"Hi, uh, is it true -"

"Yep."

"What the fuck, do you not care about any of us -"

"My versions don't take issue."

"And if you cared about them that would bother you and you would not go 'oh, convenient'."

"Tyelcormo -"

"Yeah, yeah, taking a hike." He makes a rather exaggerated show of needing Huan's support to stand up, says to Evil Maitimo, "nice meeting you," and leaves.

"Bar, may I have lunch and something that'll keep for dinner?"

He may. Tray of chicken and dumplings with elaborate little side salads and lemon souffles for lunch, something tucked in a picnic basket for dinner.

"Thank you."

You're welcome.

And when he goes up there will be a little audio pickup tucked inside a hem of a garment, which, unless he's in the habit of leaving his clothes in the hallway when he does horrifying things that involve them being off, will send everything to Cam's computer.

"Can you also recommend me some science textbooks?"

You will need to be a little more specific.

"Introductory chemistry textbook from one of the alternate Ardas?"

Here's one.

"Thank you! Is there a good way to repay you, aside from going and holding the door so someone can bring the treasury - do you like compliments on the cooking - it's excellent cooking."