How utterly dreadful it is, Byerly reflects - what an absolute trial inflicted upon him, a poor innocent who never did anything wrong - that this boy looks too earnest to be truly cruel to. It'd be so funny if he could say something like, yes, we got to know each other well indeed when I was torturing him, just so he could see this boy's eyes turn into saucer plates. Is Byerly not, after all, a good person? Has he not sacrificed for the greater good? Does he not deserve some small measure of joy?

But. No. He, alas, cannot, not in proper conscience. Sigh.

"More than alive," Byerly replies. "I'd say he's thriving." But this begs another question. Namely: "What are you doing here, then, my dear Northern brother, if not in search of our wayward Altus?" Attempting diplomacy? Defecting? Perhaps he's a Soporatus looking for some succor - though that argument with that little girl came across as rather more...clueless than the average Soporatus would be.