[ the sheer comedy of everything alhaitham says would almost make him laugh if he found the will for it. he begins by lowering even more the value and purpose of a free person, demoted into a slave, demoted to decoration, demoted to something even lower than that. that's what he implies kaveh is, and kaveh himself feels like. he will not accept his fate, will fight tooth and nail against being treated or called a slave — but he'd much rather have something to do than deal with his current lack of purpose.

if he were here, and if he were dead: what difference does either make? a conversational partner? alhaitham could have plenty. ]

Oh, I'm sorry, are you bothered by the fact I have been leisurely enjoying my stay in your quarters? Woe is you. [ there's, then, louder rattling of chains, as though to bring attention to the fact that yes, he'd have loved to stretch out his legs, if he could. the cuffs around his ankles, connected by a golden chain to the cuffs around his wrists — neither really allow him the freedom to stretch.

as for his 'polite' question: ] ... None. [ mostly because he has no room to be picky at the moment. ]