She makes an angry squeaking noise between her teeth - the equivalent of spitting, maybe. "So I suppose when Dhianeila said they felt sad and angry, it was the anger you'd feel at an obstruction - not an enemy. That's going to be a challenge - how to convince the person mowing the lawn that the grass is sentient, and doesn't want to be mowed."

She tilts the box a little bit; her right hand is still flat-tight against the bottom of it, as she silently pulses signals from the chips in that hand. "I think..." and she slides a finger along the top of the box.

The box's 'volume' goes up, and its tone is suddenly different: whining, groveling even. "Madam, I abase myself! My ignorance of your presence is inexcusable! I plead with you, do not destroy me-"

She turns down the volume again and suddenly sniffles, loudly. If Howard looks, he'll see that her eyes are suddenly a little too wet.

"Sorry," she says. "He just - has the standard AI voice pattern. He sounded exactly like Horanckk for a moment there." Another sniffle. "But it knows I'm Living People, and so now I can get it open."

She glances at the hammer. Get ready, Howard.