“Straight to the point, without pleasantries?” asks Claudius, which is a rather ungrateful response to an expression of concern. He tries to make his voice light, but there’s not enough air in it, so it simply sounds reedy and thin. At least Laertes smiled to see him. He can hold on to that before delivering disappointments. “I’ve some news,” he says with a hollow laugh, “that’s all. And I don’t have a gift for dinner, so I hope you’ll excuse the discourtesy.” He doesn’t say forgive because he couldn’t bear it.