"Two to three," agreeing to the correction with a smile. "Noted. And it makes me feel a bit better about sending people out to harass Cedric Marquette's associates, to be honest. Not every initiative is a straight line out from Corypheus."

It's partially a joke, but not entirely. Sometimes he feels like they've been pushing the same heavy stone up a hill for years, though he suspects anyone who has been in Riftwatch long enough occasionally shares the sensation.

"Do you want follow-up questions or is this one of those times we should stop thinking about work for a bit?" he adds, and this time it is a joke (if at his own expense).