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'Perhaps he and Big Bird over here can race, one day,' said Voreese, addressing his humanoid illusion.

"Racing would be an utterly pointless and wasteful use of my energies," said Hanton.

'Spoken like a grumpy old man. Hey, what's your guys' average lifespan, anyway?'

"None of your business, is what it is."

'What, was that too rude? Here, let me try again. Ahem. Please, m'lord, could you spare a morsel of information regarding the average lifespan of your glorious and noble kin?'

Hanton made no reaction.

Voreese just kept going, though. 'Oh, please, please, please, m'lord. Don't you see? Us pathetic commoners are so lacking in worldly knowledge that it is only by the grace of one as benevolent and generous as yourself that we might be able to gain anything of true intellectual value.'

Hanton allowed another beat to pass. "...About 150 years," he said flatly.

And there was more silence, perhaps caused by how stunned everyone was.

'...I can't believe you actually gave me an answer,' said Voreese.

'Neither can I,' said Garovel.

Hanton, however, just turned away to observe the giant orb, walking around to the other side of it.

'Yo, am I crazy or did he actually LIKE it when I did that?' said Voreese.

'Nah,' said Garovel. 'There's no way. You were clearly trying to mock him by being as obnoxious as possible.'

'Yeah, I thought he would pick up on that, too! It was super obvious, right?'

'Of course. He must've just decided it was easier to answer you than keep listening.'

'Hmm, I don't know. I feel like I saw him smile a little. In like a "I'm so superior" kind of way, y'know?'

'That can't be,' said Garovel. 'He's probably just--'

"Hey, could we focus a little?" said Roman. "Like, what the hell is this place, even? And what's up with the giant orb? You guys know anything about that? Anybody?"