"Yeah, he… talks," Ariel awkwardly answered Joyce. She wanted to say that Herbert did more than just talk, however, she wanted to reveal everything when the others also arrived there so that she wouldn't have to repeat herself again and again.
Joyce was astonished by that cat that appeared to be perfectly normal but could talk. She looked at that cat with great interest.
Herbert didn't like the way Joyce was staring at him so he ran toward Ariel and hid behind her legs.
Ariel looked over her shoulder to look at Herbert and asked, "Are you shy? She will do no harm to you."
"She can't do any harm to me even if she tried," Herbert curtly replied, and also quickly added with some sass, "And no, I am not shy. I just didn't like the way she was trying to defur me with her eyes."
"What?!" both Joyce and Ariel exclaimed simultaneously.
