"And here I thought you could arbitrarily survey our communications."

"It was not until this visit of mine that it became obvious to us we couldn't just have normal diplomatic relations, which do not involve spying even if it's technologically trivial."

"Well." She gets Savo to figure out how to send him books on his hacked-together technological compatibility Thing.

"Thank you."

More insincere smiling.

"And this -" he pulls out something fingernail-sized in steel - "is one of our communication devices, they're unaffected by the radio jam, they speak directly into our heads but don't worry about interrupting us."

"...it's so polite of you to warn me that you mean to bug my office, I suppose."

"You can keep it wherever you like, and I assume you possess soundproof boxes. We'll figure out an interface that lets you turn them on and off, we just don't have on-site manufacturing."

"Mm-hm."

"Would you like me to swear to it."

"I didn't even have the option of doing advance research, so I have no idea what that may mean to your people in general, let alone you."

"Would you also like some books?"

"Will I be able to read them?"

"The machine translation might fail to capture some nuance but it'd surprise me if there were readability problems."

"Then by all means, I suppose there's little purpose in fearing a computer virus that you'd introduce by offering me a book that you couldn't insert without such permission."

"We won't bother your computers." Have a history of Erdegar, and a clearer explanation of the contract-state in Khazad-dum, and a political history of the Noldor, and a book about Melkor's parole. 

Slightly less insincere smile.

"Let me know if you need anything."

"Law, order, undestroyed cultural infrastructure."

"Other places have all three, and pay less for 'em."

"I'm sure."

 Sigh. "I don't have a good sense of how much danger you're in, Savo, do you want to stay with our ship for the time being or no?"

"I still have work - and if she's doing stays of execution -"

"Okay." Steel thing. "You can reach me if you need me."

"I don't actually have immediate access to a soundproof box."