Nod. "Not being part of a hive mind anymore doesn't seem to improve you," he says to Anaander.

"Of course not. It's like being mostly dead."

"She doesn't seem very interested in anything outside her empire and I suppose isn't optimistic that you'll eventually be able to contact any of our planes."

"Not just that. He wouldn't send me home if he could."

"I suppose that isn't surprising. But that doesn't necessarily deprive you of all possible leverage, there's probably something we can agree on and if other people might go to your world..."

"I won't hurt them. I don't consider any of you enemies. I just, you know, figure you're not stupid enough to let me live and not smart enough to entertain me."

Sigh. 

"Any idea why all of you were brought here?"

"Someone organizing an intervention for you?"

"I considered it but if it were someone local Abadar'd have known what was going on."

"It seems to be about your - category, but explaining why you in particular are playing host might be a separate question."

"Can you tell me more about the Maitimo you know?"

"Of course. What do you want to know?"

"I'm not sure. Whatever might be relevant, I guess. How'd he end up in charge? What's he - like - in particular in what ways are we different -"

"He isn't in charge, yet, Finwë is still King and won't retire until Maitimo's children are grown - it's considered generally undesirable to be parenting young children while trying to hold down a job unless your job somehow makes you a better parent. He's... different. I didn't recognize you, I recognized your father, and I still don't really recognize you except when I'm looking very closely."

"Huh. I wonder if you'd have recognized me before my grandfather died."

"Seems likely. And her before she became a hivemind."

"If it's all right with you both, I'm going to watch the interrogation. You can, too, if you'd like."

"I'd like to."

An attendant brings in a crystal ball, sets it on the table. He leans in to look at it, focuses for a second, and then the crystal ball revolves into a room like the one where she was asked security questions.

"I'm going to need to tell Cor you have that."

"Of course. I have a dozen of them; if he wants one to test out he can have it."

"It'll work for people who can't do magic?"

"Yes. Slightly less well than for me, for complicated reasons, but yes."

She nods and watches the ball.

      "Name?"

"Aitim Neli."

      "Do you know how you got here?"

"No."

       "Was a giant snake thing involved."

"I briefly saw something you could maybe describe that way. I assumed I was hallucinating."

       "World you're from doesn't have giant snake things?"

"It does not."

      "What's it called?"

"The world? We call it Amenta."

      "It's a planet? Goes around a star?" 

" - yes."

      "Do you intend to harm the pharaoh or anyone else in the palace that you landed in."

"No."

      "Do you have magical abilities."

"No."

      "If you did want to harm the pharaoh or anyone else in the palace, what would you attempt -"

" - I have no idea. ...give them bad advice?"

      "Planning to do that?"

"No."

      "Do you understand that our laws prohibit violence by guests of the pharaoh in his palace, including in self-defense?"

"Yes."