The urge to be flippant in return rises and passes in the span of a few seconds as Ellis looks across the pool at Richard. He could certainly joke. I'd kill you, he could have tossed back, then laughed, and perhaps avoided the question entirely.

But he doesn't.

"Disciplinary action is not left to me." is Ellis' answer, which feels like a crucial point. This is not the Wardens. The rules are very different.