Thanks.

Sorcery doesn't seem like the kind of thing the method was designed to tackle, but it's at least interesting.

Devices and tools are the kind of thing science is especially good at. What if there is a way to make a tool that lets you map harmonics more easily? What if devices could do sorcery? Can you learn change the harmonics by changing your mindset? Tools, methods, and new perspectives like that are exactly the kind of thing science is best at. You know much more about sorcery than me, obviously, but even if it seems impossible I expect there are some ideas worth a little investigating in case there is something that's obvious if only you think about it a little differently, but you missed it and wasted 50 years of effort.

A harmonic mapping tool sounds great. I really don't think a device could do sorcery, though, and I've never heard of anyone managing to deliberately change harmonics directly instead of waiting for them to adjust on their own or in response to local plants and geography.

Safe compared to a random mortal, yes. Someone might decide to try to kill you instead of attempting to capture you. For the novelty of it.

I think this calls for an experiment. You seem to be a relatively accomplished sorcerer. Can I make an empty set of armor full of sensors and have you try to 'kill' it, to see how well it'd help?

You can, but I'm shy of two hundred years old and a library will have a better crop of sorcerers than a randomly chosen court.

Which she answers.

I'm not sure if apellodyne names require the whole thing like a natural fairy name does or just part of it like an ordinary mortal name does, replies Promise. But yes, if I knew your new name we'd be in a state of mutual vassalization again and I could turn my ears back on as long as I didn't think the apellodyne had told anyone nearby my new name.

That's a potential danger, yes. But I still have her killswitch, and she knows telling anyone your new name would constitute harming you. Would any old orders still apply as long as we remember them?

I don't think so. But it doesn't come up very often - fairies seldom forget names, and when they do, whoever they forgot usually runs away.

Nick paces and generally looks very nervous. I want to tell you. This - ruined trust is a terrible shame. But when I think about it I feel the same way I feel about death, sick fear that overrides any rational thought, any idea of fairness. I don't know what to do about it. I'm sorry.

It's obviously up to you. I'm satisfied with my existing precautions and we're managing productive trade.

He does seem to feel better at that. Have you made much progress studying de-aging mortals? Four other people on my ship are also interested in having it done to them. I'm hardly going to forbid it if you're willing to help them as well as me, though from what I've read it would be about three times as hard to learn five different targets.

I'd have to hang around them for a while. You I could probably de-age now.

Would you be willing to spend time near them? I haven't actually asked, but I doubt any of them would mind letting you watch them if you were learning to de-age them. I'm not going to push you into doing more work than you want, but I rather like the idea of saving a few lives. If you're willing and they're willing I'm hardly going to stop it.

I'm willing.

He nods and has a conversation into his devices. After about ten minutes, They all agreed. I'll rearrange their work schedules so they all have time off simultaneously, unless you can't watch them all at once anyway.

It's slightly but not overwhelmingly less efficient to look them all over at the same time.

Would it cost you less total time? That's my standard for efficiency in this case.

Yes, I'd just be ready to de-age the first one later.