"My, it certainly sounds as if Archivist Zeta must has been receiving some entirely unwarranted verbal hardship," Jade remarks from the sidelines--naturally sympathetic to the stranger's evident struggles to express her genius without grievance. The comment is made with about as much amusement as Pal's, of course...though said amusement's also only partly at the words, while the other part takes a secondhand-fond sort of humor in observing the way Pal and Camilla so effortlessly sling the exchange back and forth. Like two parts of a single unit. It reminds him, with a bit of a pang, of...

Well, no, best not get distracted by such a thought tangent as that. Jade instead watches with an openly intent sort of interest, as Pal pulls the little shard of bone from his pocket and it proceeds to unfold into--aah.

"Quite the clever measure against any potential finger-eating curses, there. I suppose this device might--"