Well, they apparently weren't a mageocracy, then (though at the moment "theocracy" would have seemed like a much better bet anyway). As it happened, of course, Unlucky literally [i]did[/i] associate political power with great wizards for obvious reasons (himself, for example), so perhaps some measure of truth to the answers...

Unlucky pretended to consider, and then count on his fingers as he continued to traipse after the creature before replying "Yes, twenty-six, seven miles, yes," - the latter three of which were strictly not untruths, if somewhat open to deliberate mis-interpretation of the question -  "but why, you not solve that one yet?"

Unlucky glanced around. He waited until the glance of one of the other aliens passed him and deliberately made a nervous wave, simply to see the reaction was.