Reference: Fairfax
he sat on that bed, all squinty eyed and slack jawed and you could see, literally see him try to come up with something clever to say back to Ben and he just couldn't do it
So true Fairfax You could fair see the cogs struggling to turn. He was anxious not to submit and desperate to keep the targetting of Ben going. But he doesn't have the wherewithall or the gumption.