[ Matt chuckles, echoing the cant of Ramirra's head with a slight, unconscious tilt of his own. He's gotten midway through a nod of agreement--good call, they've gotta make their own fun or they'll go mad--when she's moved on to another point, one that likewise seems well worth considering. ]

Yeah, [ he says slowly, ] if it was just a specific fashion sense thing, you'd think there'd be only one or two of them. And-or more different styles.

So that makes me think ...

Well, maybe they just live in a really regimented society, and the grunts can't do anything without supervision. Or maybe whatever's about to happen to us, it's something specialized and culturally important, and that's why they're here.