Ryan had been quietly enjoying the meal, listening in on the conversations as he slowly chewed away on some of the fish and fowl that had been placed close to his end of the table. His opinion was similar to that of his potential colleagues, being that the food was indeed very high quality, and delicious. It was different... He had never seen a place where the employers went to such an extent to make a favorable impression on the employees. When the esteemed Dr. Frank and Colonel Van Pelt entered the room, he immediately set down his food to observe them. The colonel seemed very stiff and proper, fitting for military officer of such a rank, and the vast number of medals covering his chest spoke volumes of his experience. If Ryan had to guess, he would assume that this man would soon be in line for a promotion to a general, provided he did not get stuck in the military's endless bureaucracy for attaining anything higher than a colonel. The fact that he was put in charge of what would seem to be a rather important task force (based on the quality of the facilities on the island), meant that he was most likely held in very high regard.

The doctor on the other hand, seemed much less formal, though that was probably just in contrast to the colonel standing beside him. He had an air of intelligence and wisdom about him, and the news articles and books Ryan had read of him certainly backed this up. The man had certainly had his fair share of time in the limelight, but news sources and articles could be deceiving, not painting a complete picture of the individual, so while they would be a good starting point for trying to learn about him, Ryan knew that his personal observations would definitely bear more weight. 

When the two men who had been conversing questioned their treatment, Ryan was torn between remaining quiet, following the 'speak only when spoken to' rule of dealing with military officers, and satisfying his own curiosity. Well he was no longer in the military anyways, so it was not like he would be demoted for speaking out of turn. Still, he decided to phrase his question in a more respectful tone than the young detective. 

"I must agree it is unusual to be treated in this fashion by our potential employers, Colonel. I too, am interested in what is going on here."

Ryan spoke in a much more formal tone than he usually did, picking his words with care. He was curious, but also did not want to offend he who would be his boss.