Max smiled a bit as he saw her, rising from his seat quickly to give her an appropriate bow. She was his equal, as a pureblood herself (even if it was slightly different in her world), and he paid her the appropriate deference. Then he took his seat before his map again, smiling indulgently at her compliment. It was not, in fact, a compliment he needed. Max was well aware of the beauty and value of Cartamandua maps, he had been raised with it. But still, it was always a good feeling to have another compliment your work, and he nodded with a smile.
"Thank you, thank you. The council has commissioned some from me, and are paying me accordingly. It's a respectable way to make a living, and it's nice to be able to use my skill."
He looked at her, beginning to roll the map. It was almost finished and he would almost certainly complete it tonight. He wouldn't risk getting food and such on it, or spilled coffee.
"Are you feeling better?" he asked conversationally. "I was sorry to hear you were ill."