"We were checking to see if there's observable differences in chips before and after the doom curse thing. But that's hardly time-sensitive. Are we just going to have depressed snuggling time every occasion we try to address our current project, that seems like it could maybe be improved on somehow..."

"I could self-modify to not be upset about it more than I'm already going to need to in order to make friends with him, but I find this vaguely unappealing."

"Yeah, I mean, I don't want to find it not upsetting, I'd like to find it - usefully upsetting?"

"The not-traumatized Findekáno is a workaholic when he's upset, it's - useful in that no one can try to play mind games with him, I don't know if it's healthy - probably healthier than this...I also do better with time constraints, can't let myself spiral because there are things that wouldn't get done..."

"There are sort of time constraints in the sense that we don't know how long we'll have to wait until he comes back for breakfast again and it could be anywhere from no time at all to lots."

He turns on his computer for the transcripts again. "They won't be stuck keeping time with us for as long as we're bugging them?"

"I'm not sure. Maybe, or maybe only while it has data to send - might skip through them sleeping or something -"

And then he relaxes considerably. "Okay."

"- why's that comforting?"

"Not that, this -" And he turns the computer -

"Perhaps," Findekáno says, "there's a sense in which we actually haven't invented indoor plumbing; theirs is better."

"I don't think we'll find any textbooks on how to make Milliways, it's not like electricity." Sigh. "I'm pretty sure the other Ardas don't have magic."

"Should I -"

"Refrain from telling them about it or bringing it about that they know of it, and if you learn that they do, tell me. Don't do any in front of them. Don't answer questions or direct them to sources for answers on its capabilities. Default to not telling them things, unless you want those things weaponized against everyone you care about -"

"Yes, your majesty."

"Night. I will wake you before I leave for breakfast."

"..."

"Tell me good night."

"Good night, my lord." Pause. "Are you angry with me -"

"No."

"It would be understandable to be angry with me, I shared information that's caused you a lot of trouble and I keep having disloyal thoughts about it -"

"It would be very understandable but I'm not angry. Go to sleep."

"If this is a kindness to me," Findekáno says after a minute, "it - isn't, not unexplained - did you swear to them you wouldn't -"

"No. Might need to swear I haven't, they were really upset by that in particular. I was not under the impression I was doing you a favor. Good night."

"Ah."

"Bugging him was a good idea - can Bar sell magic items -"

"Nope. Medium-sized nonmagical nonweapon nonliving things."

"There are no references to people using it to run around invisible or do mind-control or anything, so it's probably not a risk.

And he has decided to try to work with us, or at least to leave that open. That's good."

"Yeah. And he hasn't guessed he might be bugged. ...Bar are you going to tell him."

No.

"Thank you.

Does suggest that doing right by Findekáno's going to be complicated, though."

"The 'not a favor to him' thing?"

"Yep. And I think your read is right, hates uncertainty."

"Great, I love being right."

"Should I not have shown you - or have redacted the hurtful bit -"

"No, I'd rather see - and I'm still getting copies anyway."

"Thought you might not look at them, if there was someone else on it and it's just going to upset you."

"I'll probably still read them all, just pick and choose my timing a little more carefully."