"He'll have to before doing the implement ritual. "I have complicated feelings about Maitimo" is probably not the best message to send."

"Yeah. "a debt forgiven' might be the way to go."

"If he decides he wants to forgive him for that."

"You are underestimating Maitimo if it's surprising to you that my brother wants to forgive him."

"I hadn't realized it was so certain."

"I wish he wouldn't. But I bet he will."

"Is seeing him negotiate with the Enemy likely to change that? That part might happen even if the betrayal's right away."

"That wouldn't be nearly as unforgivable as the ships and the games that preceded them."

"Back home you'd think twice about anyone if you saw them negotiating with the worst my world has to offer. For good reason. Not that the Enemy is analogous to a demon, exactly, but I guess I absorbed an assumption that this might apply."

"I mean, it would bother people a lot if my cousins had any regard left to lose. But - I don't think it's regard that will make my brother eventually forgive Maitimo."

"Should we be trying to keep them apart? I know your perception probably attributes more to Maitimo being good at manipulation than most, but at this point I'm wondering if whatever Maitimo's doing is closer to mind control."

"It is, if not mechanically that, at least most usefully modeled that way, yes. If we don't keep that apart I expect to hear they've made amends. I am not sure whether I should be stopping that, either for Finno's own good or for the strategic good."

"And this is the Feanorian who wouldn't make things easier if we fail to save him?"

"Well, if you want them to be a bunch of unstrategic ruthless impulsive undyingly loyal lunatics, sure, we can let Maitimo die. I did not mean to leave you under the impression he's the good one, but he's the 'wants the Enemy dead and is good at his job' one."

"Is there a good one?"

"Nope.

Before the Oath, maybe. But now they're all damned together."

"Damned and good aren't mutually exclusive. Who would have been the maybe?"

"Telvo seems sweet whenever we've chatted. And principled, sort of. I might have tentatively trusted him."

"The Oath doesn't seem like it'd get in the way of most things that aren't on the level of Silmarils. Not if he'd otherwise be trustworthy."

"Maybe not. We could try to say hi next time, I at minimum am sure he wouldn't run to his father."

"So it might be doable without politics? It's at least good that they aren't all interchangeable."

Meanwhile: running to Irissë's father with updates on the Feanorians.

"Oh, not interchangeable at all. Maitimo's very likable and very competent and extraordinarily ruthless at need, Macalaurë is very deeply solipsistic but can perform 'diplomat' or 'cousin' or 'friendly stranger' as well as he can perform anything else, Tyelcormo is - deeply empathetic, for an objectively terrible person, and charming in a brash sort of way, Carnistir's aggressively misanthropic, Curufinwë is as loyal a clone of his father as he possibly can be, Pityo and Telvo stabilize each other and very much avoid attention and are frightening if cornered and have a tendency to accomplish things without appearing to have had any part in them. And Telvo is in addition to that a good person, which is a rare commodity among my cousins."

"Interchangeable with respect to their goals, I meant. The oath and the murder and the ship-burning aren't things I'd expect of good people, so if there is one that's good news."

"Well, he's still bound by the oath. But if we were to say hi he wouldn't run to his father, so that's something."

"It is something. When you say he's a good person, do you mean you'd consider giving him magic if the Silmarils were returned and the Oath wasn't a factor, or just that he's safer to negotiate with?"