Oh, certainly [he gives a wave of his hand] it isn’t an ideal situation in which to collect data, is it? [And really, Palamedes doesn’t want Skulduggery losing an arm—or worse. Even if it is for science]

He drums his fingers for a moment in silence] You’ve given me an awful lot to think about Skulduggery, and for that I am grateful. Perhaps we can find a way out of this ridiculous situation after all.

[It isn’t that Pal had entirely given up hope following the battle royale. But it had definitely put a dent in his optimism. So thanks for helping him get some of it back, Skuls!]