"Do the people-who-tell-people-what-to-do tell them only two children?"

"...no."

"Here they do. Not just Anitam every country. Otherwise people go hungry and die, or they - go to the next country and make space for themselves -"

"...people go to other countries sometimes..."

"No other country will say 'yes, we take you', they all have as many people as they can feed too. If one country is telling their people more children, they mean eventually for people to die to have space for the children."

"Oh."

"But that is not good so everyone tells people how many children and then there is no telling by making people die."

"How do people... do that? The only two?"

"They are very sad, is that what you mean?"

"No, I mean... I don't have any brothers or sisters because my parents got divorced -" She puts her hands together, takes them apart. "If they hadn't, I would have brothers and sisters."

"- oh, you don't have pens or cars or a way for no children when not allowed or not wanted -"

"We don't have that! Someone should invent it. It's probably possible with magic now that there's lots."

"We have it, we will teach you. Even without learning any magic. It is very needed - maybe not for you since you can find new worlds, but still, some people don't want -"

"Yeah, we should definitely have it."

"Most Amentans still want more than two. Five, usually. Some none, some just one or two, but most want more."

"I don't know how many humans want since they don't get to decide."

"It would be good for humans if they only want two. No need for telling and people dying."

"When people who run countries tell the people in them what to do this is called making laws, and if people try to do different things the laws are enforced."

He notes these. "What laws do humans and elementals have?"

"Elementals don't, by themselves, they just kind of fly around. Humans have, uh, don't kill each other, don't... steal things, don't spy on people..."

"Elementals don't have any laws?" he asks Penumbra interestedly. "Do you not have things to steal, or hurt?"

"We don't have countries," murmurs Penumbra.

"I think Amentans without a country would make a country. Maybe if no one dies you don't have need."

"Elementals don't die," Penumbra confirms.

"And no children."