"I suppose you could say I'm rather well-traveled." Ben replies simply. "It has had the advantage of opening my mind beyond what I believe to be possible. In any event, Quintet, you may call me Ben. Were our hosts surprised?" He does wonder about that, given that they should...know who it is they're summoning, right?

Honestly, the galaxy is such a varied and fantastical place by times, that Ben's quite sure a talking cat, as Quintet described herself, ranks actually rather low on his list of improbable things that should not be.