Blai nods. "Not that I mean to make any difficulties for you, it just affects how closely I need to read and how firmly I need to memorize."

"Would you like a paper copy?"

"I'd appreciate that."

"I'll arrange it. …do you want it soon, so you can take notes right next to the text while you can still read it."

"I don't think I need it soon. Comprehend Languages is a first circle spell and doesn't trade off against much if you're not going to want me on maximum Endure Elements."

Chris nods.

"So, you mentioned the prospect of someone collecting you within the next few weeks. What would that look like?"

"I cannot be exhaustive about the possibilities because I don't know everything the archmages of the relevant party can do, but the mainline expectation would be that someone would appear, much like I did but probably better targeted, maybe in a small group instead of alone, and make some brief attempt at understanding the situation and perhaps let me pack and then disappear again with me in tow. They might send me a message first and I would try to let you know if that happened."

"Thank you. If they appear outdoors near the base, will they be prepared for the weather and altitude?"

"The weather almost certainly, the altitude might surprise them because it wouldn't be obvious in a scry but I would not expect it to much trouble them."

"If they can come here once, they can come here again, yes? I would be shocked if the United States is not interested in ongoing diplomatic relations with such entities, do you know what their interests are like?"

"...well, recently they conquered my country and appointed one of their number Queen, and then another one established a Constitutional Convention, which wanted church representation and is what I will be late for."

"Huh. And you … feel positively towards them and would cooperate with being picked up by them?"

"Yes, of course. - the country was previously Evil."

"If you don't want to talk about it, you don't have to, but you've mentioned evil a lot in a way that seems to assume a lot more shared understanding than I think we have. When you say 'evil', what do you mean by that?"

"Is the answer you're looking for something like 'there is a spell called Detect Evil' or more like 'Evil people and institutions hurt and kill people in various ways such as torture, creating undead, collaborating with the Lower Planes, forbidding the practice of Good religions, etcetera'?"

"Both of those! …Is it not just the case that all the religions call themselves good?"

"...no, that would be pretty obviously false for the Evil ones as soon as anyone detected Evil, or checked where their worshipers tended to go when they die, or noticed that they spontaneously harm instead of heal. I suppose it is possible that specifically Razmir is attempting this con but he isn't a real god."

"I think here all the major religions call themselves good. Anyway. Congratulations on your country no longer doing that and I wish them luck rebuilding. If you'd like copies of our Constitution and some others for inspiration you can have them, that's a big responsibility."

"I'd appreciate those, in a format I can bring with me. But it's also possible that my absence will go unremarked or at least not remarked upon enough to warrant archmage intervention. I was invited but I am probably more complicated to access than the typical no-show, who will have just died or something."

"More complicated to access than dead people? How does that work, especially with how creating undead is evil? You don't have to explain right now but it's a bit mind-boggling."

"Resurrection doesn't create undead, it restores people to full life. The arch-healer Naima Cottonet is said to be able to do it without even expending a diamond, which is normally called for. This place on the other hand is not spoken of at all that I'm aware."

"We can make diamonds, if they pick you up you should tell them we can make diamonds."

"- I will absolutely relay that. Yes. - I can't cast these spells, to be clear, they start at fifth circle and I'm third."

"That's too bad. To clarify, we can't make diamonds here. Manufacturers on Earth including in the United States can make diamonds. If we could trade those for returning the dead to life it would in many cases be a good trade."

"The price would fall to that of any other fifth circle cleric spell, presumably. Still expensive, but not quite so dear."