" - I want my mommy and daddy but I can't leave and I can't talk to anybody ever again because I'll read their minds because they don't know how to keep their thoughts quiet -"

" - we can learn the thought privacy thing, it sounds like, and also I'm sure you can go home, it'd just be good if you could call over someone to hold the door, is there anyone who could do that? It's a magic door. You're being very brave."

"- there's no one around, my parents're working. Are the Valar going to die -"

"- I want to make sure no one dies. Do you happen to know if there's a Vala called Melkor -"

"Yeah."

"Do you happen to know where he is."

"He's in jail because he did something bad."

"Great. Okay. Cam, did the other one break out somehow or what -"

"Paroled."

" - well, fantastic, then we just have to. Tell them not to do that. Maitimo, Melkor really shouldn't get paroled, it's really awful if he does, we should probably talk to some people from your world about that. Cam knows - another world like yours except the Elves do not read unchipped peoples' minds - and they paroled their Melkor and it was a really really terrible idea."

Nodnod. "Unchipped people?"

"Yeah, they can always send thoughts to each other but they usually can't send them to people like us who are different, or read ours. If no one's in reach of your door we can maybe send them an owl, I guess. Cam's not mad at you, it's really good you came through here and you did the right thing staying."

"I did a bad thing."

"Yep, and I'm not going to be impressed with you for feeling guilty over it because that will give you unhealthy incentives down the road take my word for it."

"- huh?"

"You're really good at being what people need you to be and this is really good and it will let you accomplish a lot but there are a few respects in which it does not serve you and that is one of them so you're gonna stop. You didn't get it perfect. Even when you're big and unfairly smart because of future brain stuff you won't get it perfect. So, figure out what to do now and do that."

"I'm a little bit confused."

"Yeah, I bet." And to Cam, "when does he get paroled -"

"1400, but if these are different Elves they might have different timekeeping or something."

"Kiddo, what year were you born -"

"1219."

He looks questioningly at Cam.

"I don't have all of these dates memorized, hang on." Notes, notes. "...don't have the birthyear marked down but it's at least close."

"Are there some dates you do have which he might know -"

"...when did the Elves get to Valinor?"