Edie was perusing the latest correspondence from her fork. She still should have been paying enough attention to realize that the door didn't go where it ought before it swung shut and she couldn't sense anyone else anymore, but she wasn't.
After opening and closing the door a couple times to make sure she hadn't just been abducted somehow, she looks around.
"I am not looking forward to swearing there's nothing they need to know about me over and over. Maybe I can do it live on television, get it over with."
They debate which book to get next. They debate whether Findekáno should be allowed to grow out his hair - "the other Maitimo likes you like this, too, his boyfriend -"
"Perhaps it's less unpleasant for humans - he used to be a human - "
"Our humans wear their hair long."
"Because their society is run by Elves."
They sing. They read from a book they got from Bar, occasionally reading passages of interest aloud. They debate whether they can safely go outside. "If we're going to risk it at some point," Maitimo says, "the safest time is in a few weeks once they've committed themselves to not murdering me and aren't likely to reverse the decision on impulse."
"Tyelcormo's girlfriend seems - well, Tyelcormo's girlfriend would almost have to be - impulsive -"
"I also don't think they'll kill me in front of you, not unprovoked."
"They consider themselves provoked."
"I know."
"It is somehow very disturbing to have implications drawn from the fact that I continue to wear my hair the way I have since I was four."
Hug. Productive depression, let's do that. He brings the engineers snacks and checks in on what happens to a chip when an oath's reversed and idly contemplates whether it's ethically defensible to mind-control Findekáno into listening to him so he can tell him to get his oaths cleared.
Cam hangs out in the bar and fiddles with crown designs and peers at the transcript occasionally.
"I would like you to go get us dinner tonight."
"Okay. Oath -"
"Swear not to bring it about that I regret sending you. I won't regret it if you talk to people, I won't regret it if you are delayed in coming back because you want to go play outside, I will regret it if you give them information they can use against us or if you arrange for the oaths to be erased or if you don't come back or if you provoke them into making trouble -"
"I swear that I will not bring it about that you regret letting me out."
Kiss. "Perhaps this building will be kind to me and make your absence fly by quickly."
"I hope so," Findekáno says earnestly, and there's a door opening and closing.
Cam shoos the transcript and has his computer display a book on climatology, which he sort of distractedly skims through.
And he comes downstairs and - "hi, Bar. Could I have dinner? And a book about daeva?"
Porkchops and millet pilaf and chocolate raspberry tarts. Do you have a preference about which world's perspective on daeva you would like?
He can have Summoning: Compiled Lectures and Handouts by Campbell Mark Swan ed. Thea Fisher.
...Cam looks at the book.
He frowns and goes through his old university notes and mutters "the fuck, Thea".
"I didn't technically write that book, Thea must've transcribed a bunch of recordings and edited them together into a book, and I didn't know she did that."
"Is it going to be a good resource? Do you recommend a different book?"
"It... should be fine, I guess? Depending on what you want to know?"
"...what the magic system is, how it works, whether we can - um - keep our Valinor safe -"
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