"Well, a bit late for that," Ernest said briskly but not unkindly. He could sympathize, he supposed, with the desire of common folks not to get caught up in the decidedly uncommon — though he had never in his life shared such a desire, that he knew of. He was the first to step into the unknown any time he possibly could, hence his initial reaction of wanting to poke the box-machine-beast-thing with a stick to see what it would do.

"Fortunately I think your role has nearly played itself out," he continued chipperly. "I'll transport it back to the Ministry to examine it. I imagine someone will want a statement from you — probably the investigator's office," he said with a shrug. Whatever was laying in front of them, it couldn't possibly be legal, and Mr. Fox's interest in it only cemented that idea in Ernest's mind. "But then I imagine you'll be free to go on your way."