...we should reinvent those. That sounds useful.

They only sort of make you smarter. There's not a better word for what they do, but people wearing them don't have improved judgment or social skills or intuition or anything - it's a very, mm, dry intellect kind of thing. Languages are sorrrrt of the thing they'd work for.

The kind of intelligence Fëanáro has. But if it's the kind of intelligence involved in spell invention, it still seems very useful.

Yeah, it's on the list. And yeah, like him, although he's got some emotional intelligence I don't think the earrings would touch.

He's been through a lot, and he's smart enough that smarts are where he went to get coping skills. With mixed results.

Yeah.

If he'd been born in the Outer Lands he'd have been dead by forty. Here I think he'll come through it all alright.

My world would've killed him quicker. I'm glad he was born here.

Your world would have killed him as soon as he could open his mouth.

...Not quite. I was - when I was little - I just maybe have a better developed self-preservation instinct and it saved me in time and he wouldn't have that.

You were what? When you were little?

I tried to take apart the television and my mother made me read a book about people who tried to do science and had bad things happen to them.

I'm sorry. I can imagine that leaving a lasting impression on someone who had the urge to discover their limits and leave a mark on the world.

Yeah. I'm working on it.

I'm not worried about you. People are very resilient. And here you are, chatting with Maiar and kings.

Giggle.

I was thinking of making a copy of the Ainulindalë manuscript for a gift to Ingwë, the King of the Vanyar. I don't know how he'll take to writing but I think he'll appreciate it.

Will it need to be redialected for him?

Should be fine.

Good.

I feel like the illustrative work should be an art in itself. It's difficult to do in a way that enhances readability.

What do you mean?

I mean, doing nice large sweeping letters to start new sections, underlining, illustrating the margins, all the things that make a manuscript page look like a proper artwork while it also has this new invention of ours, writing. It's hard to make sure it's readable and also sufficiently beautiful.

Bella sends vaguely remembered mental images of illuminated calligraphy and illustrated art books.

He's enraptured. Yes, yes, something like that, once I can see I want to invent something like that.