Damn, [has the tenor of snapped fingers. Shoot.] I was hoping for some secret well of affection.

Well, I will ask all the same and if you find some way of achieving the same effect with an alternate then I wish you all the best. I'm leaving him with a great deal of our work, you see, and he has just taken on his new position and I think it very likely that Mister Dickerson will use that as an excuse to—you shouldn't say this to him. He'll be cross with me if he knew I said anything to anyone. —That he'll use it as an excuse to shut himself up in the Felandaris office or in the clinic for weeks on end, and I think the effect would be very poor on him. It would be good for his temperament, I think. Were someone to occasionally pry him out to be in the company of something other than paperwork and elven artifacts and the business of stocking the infirmary and so on.

I think he's lonely, and I would make some effort to alleviate it myself but I've run out of time. And I know he wishes to be your friend. But if that isn't what you wish then perhaps you might only do me the favor of encouraging someone else to engage him.