Leareth reads through it, curiously. "This is very detailed. More countries in my world should have agreements like this. I am also not actually very worried." 

"What do countries in your world do, they don't even have Law as a credible signal that one is trying."

“Ad-hoc agreements, mostly. A number of alliance marriages. Also depressingly frequent wars.”

"Avistan does a lot of alliance marriages. Garund and Casmaron do not have marriage customs as conducive to it, powerful men here take more wives. And relatedly have far more children and rarely a confident prediction of who their heir will be, until they're seventy and their older children likely already married."

"That makes sense." 

"Anyway. Feel welcome to extend Malduoni an invitation on Our behalf; we'll sign things if he finds that reassuring, and consider ourselves reassured on more nebulous grounds."

"If he is also like me on this, I doubt he will find the signing-things part to be what is reassuring, but I will convey the offer." 

"Thank you."

Leareth heads out with the pharaoh's sheet of terms, and decides to make an actual list this time of things to cover. One: permission to ask Valdemar about Mindspeakers. Two: mention Vanyel's hypothetical Final Strike plan, if they can both get diamonds and Vanyel's (and Yfandes') agreement, and its applicability for the Worldwound, see if he wants to hint about his contingency plans. Three: visit to Osirion. 

He gets out a mirror. They exchange their usual brief acknowledgements, no reason for a lot of pleasantries here. 

"When will you be ready to move." 

"I had planned to start relocating them tomorrow, since it make take some time. I assume I ought do so to your staging-area, not here." 

"Yes. Meet at my office when you are ready. What else." 

"If you wish to have Velgarth Mindspeakers for Broadsending, Valdemar will be the best source. It will be much easier to ask Vanyel if I can speak freely on the matter." 

A frown in his voice. "Fine. Vanyel is whitelisted only for the purpose of asking after Mindspeakers who can Broadsend, in the main arm of the plan. I assume you need not say for what end." 

"No." Vanyel will guess anyway. "Also, there is Velgarth magic that Vanyel might use very effectively on the Worldwound, if other factors line up, I am not sure of that yet. If our efforts there do prove more successful than you had projected..." 

"I do have a plan even for implausible success." Malduoni seems a little impatient with the question. "It would be mildly logistically inconvenient to arrange on the fly during the main part of our work, but - feasible, if it somehow arises." 

Leareth smiles a little, to convey that he hadn't doubted it for an instant. "I spoke with the pharaoh. He unsurprisingly prefers not to leave Osirion. I thought you would be willing to come here - if it suits you, I can do a Gate from the winter palace to a location of your choosing." 

"Hmm." 

"He gave me their usual terms, if you wish to hear them - the pharaoh is willing to sign something if you find that reassuring. Said his reassurance here comes from elsewhere." 

"I see. Sensible man. Well, do read it to me - it is a little informative what was offered at all, even if actually doing it the diplomatic way seems likely to add hassle without much returns in safety." 

Leareth does so. 

Malduoni thinks in silence for a minute or so. 

"I will come. Tonight or early tomorrow morning are both convenient enough. Though I do have a request to make, first." And he hesitates; whatever it is, it seems to take noticeable effort to say. "I know that Abadar must know who - was responsible. I would like the pharaoh - or you, but if one of you is going to be debilitated afterward I would honestly prefer it be him - to ask Him, and tell me." A barely noticeable sigh. "His refusal to answer a direct question would also be informative, though I am not sure of what." 

"I understand. I will ask him. Gate to your office when we are ready here?" 

"That will do. I would appreciate five minutes' warning, though." 

"Of course." Leareth has no intention of doing unexpected magic in Malduoni's vicinity. He knows how he would react.