"I was trying to," she replied, flushing a little. Partly because she wasn't the sort of person to go around saving the world much, but mostly because she'd obviously brought up the wrong topic of conversation. "They weren't really statues. From what I can remember, they were creatures who turned to stone if anyone looked at them, so they couldn't be killed."
He was looking a little less tense now, so she carried on, rambling to try to lighten the mood. "They can't move if you are looking at them, but if you turn away or even just blink, they can somehow send you back into the past and live off the rest of your life. There was a man they sent back who had some sort of time machine, and the not-statues were trying to steal it. I was supposed to send it back to him so they couldn't, but I haven't found it yet. Actually, when I got here I thought it was them and I'd been sent back in time, but maybe when I go back I can still find the machine."
She wanted to ask about his brother, but really wasn't sure that was a good idea.