The desire for approval doesn't go without notice, but Balthazar expresses it slowly, in an attempt to make it feel more rewarding. First he pauses as if surprised, then smiles, faintly secretive.

"I haven't lost too much time, then. Just a few hours since..." Since an eternity of torture during which he had no way of telling time, just never-ending pain, unable to differentiate between screaming and silence, existence as torment — oh. That was an awkward pause. He hurriedly continues: "Anyway, I... uh, thanks. Let me just."

He adjusts the time on his own watch, which looks stupidly expensive and ostentatious, like most of the rest of him. "Sorry, I don't mean to keep you from anything. You probably have something else to do." But you'd like to keep talking to me, right? His influence nudges Fish a little harder to see how he takes it.