"Well, I didn't assign it low weight because I thought he was a paragon of virtue who would never, I assigned it low weight because all the negative rumors I heard about him suggested that his issues were due to a lack of ability to--navigate people--not an inclination to wield the ability negatively, but while I would love to be able to say that I think most people would consider that when deciding whether or not to give him the benefit of the doubt, yes, you probably should."

"I will write up some pamphlets and tuck them away in the workshop somewhere. Thank you."

"You're welcome.

I do like him, now. But I didn't know much that wasn't--general public knowledge--at the time."

"I promise I wasn't screening for loyalty to my father."

"No? I've known him for less than a month, I'm not sure I'd describe myself as more than superficially loyal yet. I just wanted to clarify that I wasn't giving negative rumors about his lack of social graces undue weight in my opinion of him."

"That I'm glad to hear."

"And the rumors about his genius appear to be entirely accurate."

"I have the same impression!"

"You'd know better than I would."

"Would I? I live up in the city proper and am not working on anything at all sufficiently interesting."

"Well, yes, but you've known not only him but everyone else with an informed opinion multiple orders of magnitude longer than I have."

"I know everybody. I'd say 'it's my job' but that'd be nonsense, it's just fun. But I might be biased when it comes to my father."

"I accepted an apprenticeship from him based on his showing up at my door saying he liked a paper I wrote and did I want to actually learn something. I am not wholly without reason to prefer to think he's brilliant enough to justify doing that."

"Okay, fair. What were you doing before?"

"D'you want the technical detail, or...?"

"I will find it incomprehensible but nod appreciatively."

"I mean, I can summarize in non-technical detail!"

"Then I will find it comprehensible and nod appreciatively!"

She summarizes.

And is rewarded not just with nods but with some followup questions.

Which she can answer!

"Thank you! I understand why my father was fascinated."

"Thanks."

"Do let me know if you need anything, all right?"

"I will."