"Many years!" he repeated.

He shut his eyes tight, opened them, and sat looking about him from one unfamiliar thing to another.
"How many years ?" he asked.
"You must be prepared to be surprised." "Well ?" "More than a gross of years." He was irritated at the strange word.

"More than a _what_ ?" Two of them spoke together.

Some quick remarks that were made about "decimal" he did not catch.
"How long did you say ?" asked Graham.

"How long?
Don't look like that.