Box it into answering by asking the right questions, hm? It's entirely possible that if there are rules binding it to the schedule, there are things that can get it to talk, too... Come to think of it - we already know there's at least once force at work that it can't deny, right? Whatever makes people walk themselves to the panthouse at the end of trials.

[But he's categorizing that as a Mysterious Boat Force and he's still not sure whether that's a friend or foe...]