Curufin nods. "I'll edit it tomorrow after the 10 a.m. meeting, if that gives me any information that makes me want to change any of my answers. I suppose you are right, that some people don't believe that a Ministry official would be open to asking or giving information. That's one of the reasons I opted for a meeting with you instead of going to the group meeting. I thought that with so many people present, it might be hard for a speaker to answer all the questions."

And as for that last thought, "I've attended meetings on the train, and they were full of questions and answers. And long before that, in my own world, when I was the commander of my own Elvish military force, I called captains' meetings whenever there was a need. Those meetings weren't just me talking and giving orders. It was me giving information, and also, inviting anybody who knew or had observed things I hadn't to speak and inform the rest of us. And it always started with a summary of what we were going to cover. That was my style."

He smiles a little, then, and says, "You know my name, but I don't know yours. Would you be willing to introduce yourself? I imagine that you work very hard as a Ministry official, and I respect that. I'd like to remember who I was talking to." He approaches and holds out his hand for a handshake. He knows not all cultures have this gesture, but it couldn't hurt to offer.