It does help, actually. Mostly by virtue of giving him leeway to assume there's a different set of cultural norms in play here than the ones that he's most accustomed to. But that's at least a start, and one that lets him focus a little more on the way she's acting.

Better still, perhaps, is the fact that it doesn't look like he has any weapons on him. Which isn't a guarantee of a lack of violent intent, but does at least back up the theory that he's as friendly as he looks.

"So far, no one's found one. But that doesn't mean that there isn't one."