[He seems surprised, and raises his eyebrows. He didn't expect that much to offend her; even though he does happen to think he's superior, he took some care not to show it. He had been showing her a little more honesty than usual, but clearly now it's time to pull back on that; he affects an air of mortification.]

I'm afraid you may misunderstand me, my point is precisely the opposite. Personally, I find it rude to discuss the subject, but so long as we're brainstorming reasons for this experiment, I wanted to be honest about circumstances. Our families might pay ransom, but it's clear something like that is of no use here. I only wish I had some of the practical skills at my disposal that others have.

My meaning is, we're quite a strange group of captives, aren't we? There are other people whose disappearance would attract less notice...so I wonder if that isn't part of the goal?