Yes, I expect he has a ruse that he puts up like so many of us. Everyone is playing the game to win, but their objectives are often different from our own.

[There were plenty of fakes in his city, and some of them even thrived very well with their abilities. He had no doubt that he and Gogol would dislike each other very much, and he was perfectly willing to engage regardless. They could be productive if they didn't descend to petty squabbling.]

Does he still have a vested interest in investigating information about this place, or has his interest waned?