"Yep. Don't know anything about other species."

"Honestly neither do I, really, the human I met was an adult and I've never met a breeder child either."

"What was the human you met like?"

"- we didn't socialize very much. Is there something specific you want to know?"

"Did they look like the ones here? Were they friendly? Smart?"

"These ones looked less healthy than she did. She wasn't - someone I would normally have chosen to socialize with on her own merits of friendliness or smartness, but most people aren't. She wasn't hostile or stupid."

"Huh."

"Of course, I didn't open by attempting to capture her."

"Then how'd you get her?"

"She wandered in by accident. I was trying to keep her safe."

He glances at his mouse.

"Did it work?"

"No."

"That's too bad."

"I hope she's dead."

"Wow. Really?"

"I don't think she's likely to get out."

"Sure, but like, as long as you're alive, there's a chance, right?"

"If she's not dead I bet she wishes she were."

"Anything we can do?"

"Theoretically but it would be insanely dangerous."

"In that case I will probably not be permitted to do it but - tell me more?"

"- the thing where you can get entangled from nicknames alone, does that apply if I refer to any of these people by their usual nicknames? Since we don't have that and generally use the same one all the time."

"It'd matter if I later connected it with the correct person. If they're fast, knowing mortals' names doesn't speed them up."

"Not mortals - my sort of person, instead - but not fast."

"- maybe use a different one just to be safe? But the risk is pretty low."