Risu smiled again. It was obvious that doing so came easily to him. "I'm sure neither of us would be here right now if it weren't for the dedication to our respective professions. For the same reason that you spend your time in a smelly room hoping that the next ingredient isn't going to blow up the cauldron. I put up with uncomfortable camp beds, ice-cold weather, and constant financial fears to study the cosmos. For two decades at least."

He thumped the upholstery of the chair approvingly. "My time for scientific contributions is done now, I should think." Risu's smile became a little rueful as he remembered his time as an active scientist - a period of his life now mostly behind him. For some reason, his facility's financial troubles and the Spartan living conditions had only added to, as it were, the magic of science. He scratched the corner of his eye a little self-consciously when he realised how he must look; like an old man, reminiscing about the proverbial good old days.

"Education plus a little astrophysics on the side doesn't sound bad for someone in his early forties, though," he amended, and brightened up even further as he espied Professor Lafay's cat. It was blacker than the space between galaxies. "Mephistopheles, the demon prince," Risu said, waving at the cat. "How do you do." He winked at it. "You have a much more agreeable appearance than the unlucky Faust, if you don't mind me saying, Professor."