"And if they had wanted to scare anyone else off from returning, they wouldn't have fixed everything that they had done," he doesn't particularly want to add, but he will anyway. It's notable. Vexing, too. Why fix what they broke? To ensure he could get back? But for what reason?

"Or could it be they decided it isn't worth picking a fight with the Ringmaster?"

Another possibility. Even they had been talking about it, how powerful she might be, only a moment ago.