"But of course!" Who else would be so smart, so suave, so dedicated to the cause but a professor of that illustrious establishment? "Ah, truly? I would be most grateful. The Dragon has been keeping her distance for want of a proper meal- and for traps set by raiders that I think your agents have already cleared out for me."

A beat.

"I compensated them appropriately, of course." He would never dream of expecting interns to work for free.