A rather scrawny specimen of the goblin variety, sitting in a formerly neatly-swept-up pile of dust at the side of the street/square, looks up from his large, ungainly book to watch the inventor run into the woods.

"Gnomes," he says, shaking his head slightly.

Then, having realized he reached the end of a chapter, he stands up to stretch his legs and find out the latest happenings. Then, after learning everything there was to find out, he decides he agrees with Duke Luke, or whatever, and points passively at Helgraf.

That done, he returns to his book.