"...why would that be bad?"

'Why did it seem possible I was upset enough to not help with the Maiar.'

"You were... reacting very strongly, and I find you confusing in general, and it's in range for what I'd expect of a human, that they wouldn't want to work on anything with me after finding out I holed a planet."

'I apologize again for the cold.'

"The cold itself was fine, I'm indestructible."

'What is the not-'itself' which was not fine.'

"Just - being scared that I'd lost a chance to get them back. That I'd wait and wait and every time it'd turn out like that, that as soon as somebody has the full story they'll - go, and not help me fix it."

'But then it would not be fixed.'

"- well, yes, but. I'm not sure that would be everyone's overriding priority. If they still believed me about what I was trying to do at all. And - I'll get it fixed, somehow, I'll stay here as long as I have to."

'How could someone self-consistently be upset enough at you doing that they then don't want to fix it.  Either it is worth being upset over or not; if it isn't then there's no sense in being mad at you and if it is then it needs fixing.'

"If they decided I'm generically untrustworthy," he suggests.

'I will do research, and if it transpires that you have misled me about important facts about the situation, then I will not help you with the objective you were attempting to mislead me into,' they determine.  'Unless it is also important.'

"That's entirely appropriate. Thank you."

Nod.

' - If a world's time is paused while one of its members is here, then my priority upon getting a multiversal teleport should be to bring someone back here, instead of attempting to operate there immediately.'

"I'm not from Arda and I'm pausing it, but if you can do that it sounds promising. You could also try opening the door and see if you can reach your Earth, if that's where you have in mind?"

They try the door.  Outside it: a pretty forest.  They close the door.

"Where's that?"

'It is where I was before I was here.'

"With the other artists?"

'Yes.'

"Do you think any of them would help?"

'No.'  They're quicker on this response than usual.

"...why not?"

'They are all - very narrow, in their interests and abilities.'

"I see. What makes you different?"