On Kostos’ end, there’s an equally grave weight to the silence—or he intends for there to be, anyway. With the way the crystals work, the silence may instead give the impression that he’s asleep or not paying attention. But after that silence has gone on for a while, long enough for him to think have you gotten someone pregnant already and if you’re being held hostage and this is an ambush I am going to be incredibly annoyed and a few other things, he says, “Fine.”

And shortly he’s there, opening the door without knocking, since he was invited and he doesn’t want to give Gareth’s hypothetical captors a moment to ready their defenses.

There are no captors. Obviously. But he doesn’t like what he does see all that much more. He’s quick to step inside and shut the door behind him.