"Exp- how do you have 'gravity'."

"You used that one earlier too."

"In a list."

"Etymology is often informative!"

"'Gravity' in Oahkar is an onomatopoeia for - seriously this is driving me nuts how are you doing it this is well past science fiction plausibility -"

" - if the King says secret 'I'm really curious' is not a good enough reason, is that different in the Oakh Empire."

"I'm not trying to get you beheaded or anything I'm just really really curious - ugh -"

He looks halfway between confused and appalled. 

"- what?"

" - we don't die. If anything happens the Valar can make us again - the King does not maintain order by killing people who break the rules, that would be wasteful and cruel and horrible."

"Do you mean to say you could tell me where you're getting all your vocabulary words and not even be in trouble for it."

" - there would be trouble, but I would not be murdered, because that is not an appropriate reaction at all really."

Wistful sigh. "I am so not a diplomat. I'm a polymath. Usually they don't send polymaths to check if things are fatal but two blues were already through here and I wanted to see."

"That sounds like a lovely job! What do you usually do -"

"Tell students to go away until someone threatens to take my research funding." He's peering at the curtains.

"That's Telperion," he says of the silver light. "I am confused about the job, in that case."

"I'm joking - mostly - all right if the planet is flat where does the light come from, why silver -"

"Yavanna made two giant glowing trees and they wax and wane - go bright and dim - one is silver and one gold. You would have to ask her why giant glowing waxing waning trees."

"...it seems like a potentially questionable design, yep."

"It was the second design, the first one was giant globes on poles. I personally do more than two drafts before implementing something but I've never designed a world so maybe there are compelling reasons to go with it."

"Do you, ah, know how gravity works when no one is experimenting with it?"

"I would be so appreciative of a proper physics textbook."

"I'm sure we can get you one but where are you starting?"

" - secret. For obvious reasons."

"What? That isn't obvious at all."