They're very undyingly loyal. It's sort of weird. Anyway, it has already been noted that I am impatient compared to Quendi.

And you are not in Valinor, which is fond of letting its days slip by without anyone noticing. Are people in Asgard not particularly undyingly loyal to your mother?

Not like that. She's quite popular, people certainly do what she says, but I think their loyalty would run out under tests that your people's would survive.

It's the deep-seated conviction that someday my father will be a god. Makes my life rather easy. Except when I disagree with him.

Odin already wields vaguely incalculable power, just sparingly.

In that case I can pretend it's entirely the force of our personalities.

I'll be curious to hear your updated judgment when you've gotten a less outlying source on Asgardian culture and met my family.

I actually wonder if it's related to what you've called the extreme Quendi monogamy, though monogamy isn't really its notable feature. Persistence of deep and unconditional loyalty.

...Could be.

I should let you work.

Let me know when and where you want illusion roofs.

I'll start designing it at once.

And she gets back to work.

A while later he has a series of illusions for stages of construction of an uninteresting outpost in the desert. Actually, for ten uninteresting outposts in the desert and another thirty scattered across the continent. "Seemed safest."

"Delightful."

"I know your time is valuable. I hoped it might be a diverting break from spell-research anyway."

"Yeah, it won't take that long with the designs prepped anyway. Do you want them all at once or spread out over a couple weeks?"

"Might be suspicious if they all go up the same day, but if that's easier for you don't worry too much about it."

"No, spreading 'em out works for me, short breaks rather than killing half a day on it."

"Perfect. Thank you."

"Should I put the closest ones up first so it looks like people are spreading out from here?"

"That would make sense, yes."

"All right. You want status reports as they go up or just one when they're all done?"

"If my scouts are competent I'll hear about it anyway." They at last have gas masks sufficient for some people to venture out. "Don't bother about status reports."