Several even bubbled happily. He was shorter than Alex, bent over, and had a humped back. He was also quite handsome. I'm here to teach you about how to travel in time by mental control. The raspy voice was gone, replaced by a pleasant baritone.
People see the hump, and assume that 'hump' means 'laboratory assistant'.
I'm really sorry. Lie down on that couch over there. You can move some of the props. Alex moved a stuffed black cat onto a table. Deanna perched on a stool.